Vanguard Says Average 401(k) Balance Hit $167,970 in 2025 as Median Lagged at $44,115
Updated
Updated · The Motley Fool · May 30
Vanguard Says Average 401(k) Balance Hit $167,970 in 2025 as Median Lagged at $44,115
4 articles · Updated · The Motley Fool · May 30
$167,970 was the average 401(k) balance at the end of 2025, up 13% from a year earlier and marking a record high in Vanguard’s preview of its 2026 How America Saves report.
Strong 2025 stock-market gains drove much of that increase, suggesting investment performance rather than sharply higher saving rates was the main force behind the rise.
$44,115 was the median balance, far below the average and indicating a smaller group of high-balance savers pulled the mean upward.
Vanguard said fuller age-based data is still to come, a key measure because $167,970 may look strong for younger workers but fall short for people nearing retirement.
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