Is your super on track for your age?
It's the question half of r/AusFinance is quietly asking — one recent “I hit $100k in super!” post drew hundreds of comments of people comparing notes. Here's how to actually answer it for yourself, with honest numbers.
Where do you stand?
Enter your age, balance and income. You'll get two answers: how you compare to the typical balance for your age, and whether your current path reaches a comfortable retirement at 67.
You're ahead of the median by $39,000
Approximate median super at 38 is $51,000 — you're at about 1.8× that.
That clears the ASFA comfortable target of $630,000 — you're on track.
To be on track for comfortable, you'd want about $56,591 by now.
“Ahead of the typical balance for your age — nice. Now check whether the path gets you all the way to a comfortable retirement.”
General information only, not personal financial advice. The median figures are approximate (ATO/APRA, rounded) and vary a lot by income and gender; the projection is a simplified estimate in today's dollars (employer super only, taxed 15% going in, netted of the fee, growing at the return you set — nothing extra added). It stops at the balance and doesn't model the Age Pension, tax in retirement, or how long the money lasts. For the full picture, run it through the planner.
What's “typical” by age
Approximate median super balances (ATO/APRA, rounded):
| Age band | Approx. median balance |
|---|---|
| 25–34 | ~$25,000 |
| 35–44 | ~$55,000 |
| 45–54 | ~$95,000 |
| 55–64 | ~$160,000 |
A big caveat: these are medians. The average is much higher — a minority of very large balances drag it up — which is why “am I above average?” is a harder bar than it sounds. We pull that thread apart in can the average Australian retire comfortably?
“On track” means two different things
1. Ahead of your peers. Beating the median for your age feels good — and the “$100k at 32” poster was well ahead of the ~$25k typical. But the median is a low bar, so clearing it doesn't mean you'll land a comfortable retirement.
2. On track for the retirement you want. The one that matters. The calculator projects your balance plus future employer super to 67 and checks it against the ASFA comfortable target ($630,000for a single). If you're short, it shows roughly how much extra per year would close the gap — the kind of catch-up a bit of salary sacrifice can do, within the contribution caps.
What a balance alone can't tell you
A target balance is a useful waypoint, but it's not the whole answer. The ASFA comfortable figure is a drawdown target that already assumes a part Age Pension and a paid-off home — so the real question isn't just “did I hit a number?” but “what income does my super plus the Age Pension actually fund, and how long does it last?” That's what the planner models year by year.
Go past the balance
The free planner takes your real numbers — super, the Age Pension, tax, spending — and shows the income they fund and how long your money lasts, in today's dollars.
Open the plannerGeneral information only, current at 2026-27 — not personal financial advice. Median figures are approximate and vary widely by income and gender; projections are estimates in today's dollars and depend on your own contributions, returns, fees and circumstances. Confirm current details with Moneysmart or a licensed financial adviser before acting.