Retirement Savings by Age Calculator

The Retirement Savings by Age Calculator is the most realistic Retirement Savings Estimator by Age based on historical annual income levels in the U.S. and the historical stocks and bonds returns.

It derives average retirement savings (such as 401(k), 403(b), IRA etc.) based on historical market performance and income levels. By inputting a current age, the age one started saving, the stock allocation, and savings rate, the calculator calculates accumulated savings across different income tiers (low, middle, lower-upper, and mid-upper) from 1977 to 2025. Using credible historical data from NYU Stern for stock and bond returns and authoritative sources for U.S. income levels from U.S. Census Bureau, it provides a realistic view of how the average savings could grow over time, factoring in annual portfolio returns and consistent savings contributions.

Unlike other online calcuators or tables that use some fixed assumptions (such as annual 6% return, for example), this calculator uses realistic data from historically accurate stock and bond returns as well as income levels for each year to derive the results.

The purpose of this calculator is to let you have a sense of what kinds of retirement savings can be expected at your age.

Instructions for Using the Retirement Savings by Age Calculator

The Retirement Savings by Age Calculator estimaes retirement savings based on historical stock and bond returns and income levels from 1977 to 2025. To use it, enter the following inputs:

Current Age (your age in 2025, between 22 and 70, default is 45)

Age When Starting Saving (the age you began saving, default is 22, must be 22 or older and not exceed your current age)

Stock Allocation (the percentage of your portfolio in stocks, with the remainder in bonds, default is 60%)

Savings Rate (the percentage of your income saved annually, including any employer 401(k) match, default is 6%; for example, if you have 6% employee contribution and 3% employer match, enter 9%.

Click the Calculate button to see your estimated savings.

The results display your Current Accumulated Savings (based on middle-income savings) and savings for four income tiers in 2025: Low, Middle, Lower Upper, and Mid Upper, each showing the income level and corresponding savings. These would give you some measurements on what retirement savings would have been for different income levels at whatever the savings rate entered.

The calculator assumes annual contributions are invested at the start of each year, compounded with historical portfolio returns (from NYU Stern for S&P 500 and 10-year Treasury bonds) based on your stock/bond allocation.

Note that results are estimates, excluding fees, taxes, or withdrawals, and rely on historical data that may not predict future performance.

Data Sources and Assumptions

The historical income data in the Retirement Savings by Age Calculator is sourced directly from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Historical Income Tables (Households), specifically Table H-5, which provides median household income in nominal (current) dollars from 1977 to 2023. The Middle Income Tier reflects these exact median values for each year, ensuring historical accuracy. For example, the median income in 2010 is $50,480, as reported by the Census Bureau for that year. For 2024, the 2023 median income of $80,610 is used as a proxy, as official 2024 data is not yet available as of May 2025; this should be updated when the Census Bureau releases the 2024 figures.

The other income tiers are calculated as follows: the Low Income Tier is 50% of the median, the Lower Upper Income Tier is 1.5 times the median, and the Mid Upper Income Tier is 2 times the median. These multipliers approximate income distribution trends, providing a simplified view of savings potential across different income levels. All values in the calculator, including income, contributions, and accumulated savings, are in nominal dollars, reflecting the actual dollar amounts for each year without adjustment for inflation. This ensures that the savings calculations show the nominal growth of investments over time, consistent with the historical returns used.

The Income data can be accessed at the Census Bureau’s website.

The stock and bond return data are from NYU Stern website.

Caveats

This calculator assumes a single historical savings rate for each year, furthermore, it assumes one’s income level remains the same throughout the years. These are not realistic assumptions. However, it would give you some references for various income level savers for the past historical returns (realistic in this sense) and also the historical year by year income level data are more accurate than a simple 3% or 5% annual salary raise.

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