How much money does the average 25 year old have in the bank?
The Federal Reserve doesn't provide a specific metric for savers in their 20s. Instead, it compiles data on savings and financial assets for Americans under 35. The Fed's most recent numbers show the average savings for the age group that includes 25-year-olds is $20,540.
By the time you're 25, you probably have accrued at least a few years in the workforce, so you may be starting to think seriously about saving money. But saving might still be a challenge if you're earning an entry-level salary or you have significant student loan debt. By age 25, you should have saved about $20,000.
| Age | Income | Net Worth |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| 25 | $25,000 | $62,500 |
| 30 | $25,000 | $75,000 |
| 50 | $25,000 | $125,000 |
| Average Daily Spending by Americans 25-34 Years Old | |
|---|---|
| Groceries | $10.89 |
| Housing (Rent/Homeownership) | $34.78 |
| Utilities | $8.89 |
| Health Insurance | $6.19 |
20% of Your Annual Income
The amount you're able to save varies greatly depending on your income, expenses and financial goals. Alice Rowen Hall, director of Rowen Homes, suggests that “individuals should aim to save at least 20% of their annual income by age 25.”
Most American households have at least $1,000 in checking or savings accounts. But only about 12% have more than $100,000 in checking and savings.
While $20K may not let you quit your job, it's enough to start building financial security, whether you max out your retirement accounts, invest in fine art, or divide your cash between multiple investments.
By age 25, you should have saved at least 0.5X your annual expenses. The more the better. In other words, if you spend $50,000 a year, you should have about $25,000 in savings. If you spend $100,000 a year, you should have at least $50,000 in savings.
By age 25, you should aim to have an emergency fund of 3-6 months of living expenses, and start regularly contributing to retirement savings to take advantage of compound interest over time, even if it's just small amounts.
Only 2% of 25-year-olds make over $100k per year, but this jumps to a considerable 12% by 35. That's a whopping 500% increase in the share of people making $100k or more. 21% of 66-year-olds make $100k per year or more.
How much should a 25 year be making?
What does the average 25-year-old make? The BLS groups median salaries by age brackets. The median salary for ages 25-34 in the second quarter of 2023 is $54,184 per year. And the median salary for individuals ages 20-24 is $37,024 per year.
Rule of thumb? Aim to have three to six months' worth of expenses set aside. To figure out how much you should have saved for emergencies, simply multiply the amount of money you spend each month on expenses by either three or six months to get your target goal amount.
How Many Americans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck? A 2023 survey conducted by Payroll.org highlighted that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, a 6% increase from the previous year. In other words, more than three-quarters of Americans struggle to save or invest after paying for their monthly expenses.
Saving $5,000 in an emergency fund can be enough for some people, but it is unlikely sufficient for a family. The amount you need in your emergency fund depends on your unique financial situation. Consider these rules of thumb and other factors to calculate your ideal emergency fund amount.
| Age | Average Account Balance | Median Account Balance |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | $5,236 | $1,948 |
| 25-34 | $30,017 | $11,357 |
| 35-44 | $76,354 | $28,318 |
| 45-54 | $142,069 | $48,301 |
Saving $1,500 per month may be a good amount if it's feasible. In general, save as much as you can to reach your goals, whether that's $50 or $1,500. You could speak with a certified financial planner to help develop a plan for your finances if you aren't sure how much money to save regularly.
“By the time you hit 33 years old, you should have $100,000 saved somewhere,” he said, urging viewers that they can accomplish this goal. “Save 20 percent of your paycheck and let the market grow at 5% to 7% per year,” O'Leary said in the video.
While reaching the $100,000 mark is an admirable achievement, it shouldn't be seen as an end game. Even a six-figure bank account likely won't go far enough in retirement, which could last as long as 30 years.
“By the time you're 40, you should have three times your annual salary saved. Based on the median income for Americans in this age bracket, $100K between 25-30 years old is pretty good; but you would need to increase your savings to reach your age 40 benchmark.”
One common benchmark is to have two times your annual salary in net worth by age 35. So, for example, say that you earn the U.S. median income of $74,500. This means that you will want to have $740,500 saved up by age 67. To reach this goal, at age 35 you may want to have about $149,000 in savings.
Is 50k in savings good?
“In today's times, $50,000 should really be looked at as an emergency fund, rather than something to spend on improving one standard of living,” Jania added. “Further, because inflation is still rampant, if one chooses to increase their standard of living, the cost of that will likely go up even more over time.”
$30,000 at age 20 is a great start. You should continue to add more to grow that balance. Set you goal at $5 million or more. Five million dollars at 4% interest will give you an income to $200,000 every year forever.
The median salary of 20- to 24-year-olds is $706 per week, which translates to $36,712 per year. Many Americans start out their careers in their 20s and don't earn as much as they will once they reach their 30s. For Americans ages 25 to 34, the median salary is $1,003 per week or $52,156 per year.
Peak earning years are generally thought to be late 40s to late 50s*. The latest figures show women's peak between ages 35 and 54, men between 45 and 64. After that, most people's incomes typically level off. Promotions favor younger people with longer futures*.
Two-thirds of those ages 30 to 34 say they are completely financially independent, compared with 44% of those ages 25 to 29 and just 16% of those ages 18 to 24. Young women are more likely than young men to say they are at least mostly financially independent from their parents (74% vs. 62%).
