How Much the Average Middle-Class Person Has in Their Retirement Fund

Caitlyn Moorhead

Mon, May 5, 2025, 3:01 AM 4 min read

For many Americans, retiring can feel pointless. If you put all of your savings information into the fixed-income calculator and realize your nest egg is coming up short, it may cause you to delay retiring or forgetting about the idea altogether.

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The reasons for this retirement wall can vary, but the most common issue for the middle class is never having or prioritizing an individual retirement account or investment fund. But is the middle class actually falling behind in retirement? Or, as the economic class title would suggest, are they somewhere in the middle?

According to the Pew Research Center, middle-class income in 2025 is estimated to range from $52,000 to $160,000 annually. That’s a wide range, meaning the amount allocated toward covering retirement can also vary widely from person to person.

So, how much does the average middle-class person have in their savings? GOBankingRates has found the answer to this question, and a few more you may have about retirement funds.

The average retirement savings for all families is about $333,940. However, this figure can be misleading due to the presence of outliers. A more telling statistic is the median retirement savings, which stands at $87,000. The median offers a clearer picture of what a typical family has saved, excluding the extremes on both sides that can skew the average.

Here is a breakdown of the average and median retirement savings by age group.

• Average Savings: $49,130

• Median Savings: $18,880

Young adults are often balancing the challenges of student debt, early career earnings, and establishing financial independence. As a result, their retirement savings are typically lower, with nearly half of families in this age group having some form of retirement account.

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• Average Savings: $141,520

• Median Savings: $45,000

This age group sees a significant increase in retirement savings as individuals move into higher-paying positions and become more focused on their financial futures. About 60% of households in this bracket have retirement accounts.

• Average Savings: $313,220

• Median Savings: $115,000

With peak earning years typically occurring in this age range, retirement savings generally see growth. A majority, around 62%, of households have retirement holdings.

• Average Savings: $537,560

• Median Savings: $185,000