It’s one of the most common money questions Australians quietly Google, usually late at night: how much super should I actually have by now?
It’s a fair question, and we’ll answer it properly. But before we do, one promise – wherever you land against the numbers, you’re going to finish this with a clear next step, not a sinking feeling.
In this post we’ll look at what the average Australian has at each age, what you’re really aiming for, why the two don’t match, and what to do if you feel behind.
What the Average Australian Has at Each Age
Let’s start with the honest numbers. These are rough averages based on recent ATO data, so treat them as a guide rather than a scoreboard – your own balance depends on your income, your hours, and your history.
Here’s roughly what the average account holder has:
- In your late 20s – around $22,000
- In your early 30s – around $45,000
- In your late 30s – around $75,000
- In your early 40s – around $115,000
- In your late 40s – around $170,000
- In your early 50s – around $235,000
- In your late 50s – around $310,000
- In your early 60s – around $380,000
A quick but important note. These are averages, and averages are pulled upwards by people with very large balances. The typical, middle-of-the-pack figure – the median – is usually a fair bit lower, often 30 to 50% below the average. So if you’re under these numbers, you’re in very good company.
The Gap No One Likes to Mention
Here’s where it gets interesting, and a little uncomfortable.
Look at that last figure again – the average person in their early 60s has around $380,000 in super. Now compare it to what you actually need. As I covered in how much you need to retire, ASFA estimates a single homeowner needs roughly $630,000 by 67 for a comfortable retirement.
So the average Australian is heading for retirement a fair way short of “comfortable.” The average isn’t a target to feel safe hitting. It’s a warning that, as a nation, most of us are under-doing this.
That’s the real answer to “how much should I have.” Not the average – the average is too low. The number that matters is what gets you to the retirement you actually want.
And don’t get me started on the ASFA numbers, because when you dig into their definition of comfortable, it is not what anybody reading this post would consider comfortable.
A Word on the Super Gap for Women
One pattern is too important to skip. At every single age, women’s super balances sit well below men’s.
By their early 60s, the average man has around $480,000 in super, while the average woman has closer to $290,000. That’s not about effort or ability. It’s the maths of career breaks, caring for family, part-time work, and the ongoing pay gap all compounding over a working life.
If that’s you, it’s worth knowing the gap exists so you can plan around it deliberately, rather than discovering it at 60. A little extra attention earlier makes an outsized difference later.
If You Feel Behind, Read This
Now the promise I made at the start.
If you looked at those numbers and felt your stomach drop, take a breath. Feeling behind on super is close to the default setting in this country, and it says nothing about whether you can fix it.
Here’s why there’s genuine room for hope. Super responds dramatically to two things – time and small changes – because of compounding. A modest boost to your balance in your 40s doesn’t just add that amount; it adds that amount plus decades of growth on top. The same force that makes a low balance feel discouraging is the force that can rescue it, once you point it the right way.
So “behind” is rarely as fixed as it feels. It’s a starting point, not a verdict.
What to Actually Do About It
You don’t need to overhaul your life. A few deliberate moves, made now, change the trajectory.
- Find out your real number – Most people don’t actually know their balance, their fees, or how it’s invested. You can’t steer what you won’t look at, so start there.
- Check how it’s invested – A balance sitting in an overly conservative option for decades can quietly cost you a fortune. Understanding how it’s invested is one of the highest-value hours you’ll spend.
- Bring your accounts together – Multiple accounts mean multiple sets of fees nibbling away. Combining them, where it suits you, plugs a leak.
- Consider topping it up – Because of the tax treatment, even small extra contributions can punch above their weight over time. Whether it suits you depends on your situation, so it’s worth understanding properly. (I’m a coach and educator, not a licensed adviser, so take this as general information and check your own circumstances.)
If you want the full picture of the rules and how it all fits together, start with my guide on how superannuation works.
In Summary
So, how much super should you have at your age? More than the average, because the average is quietly heading for a retirement most people wouldn’t choose.
The real target isn’t a number on a chart for your age – it’s whatever gets you to the retirement you want, which for a comfortable single is around $630,000 by 67. Wherever you are against that today is just your starting line.
Check your number, check how it’s invested, and make one small improvement now. Thanks to time and compounding, small moves made today are what quietly build wealth for the version of you who stops working.
Be honest – do you actually know your current super balance off the top of your head? If not, that’s your one job this week. Let me know in the comments below.
P.S. Your super is only one part of the picture. Grab my free Wealth Tracker to see where the rest of your money is going – because the surplus you find today is what lets you close the gap while there’s still time on the clock.
