What's the Average 401(k) Balance of the 'Upper Class'? Here's What Top Earners Have Stashed Away

Mon, Sep 15, 2025, 11:30 AM 5 min read

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For high earners, saving for retirement isn't just about discipline — it's about standing out from the pack.

Many in the upper class work long hours, juggle demanding careers, and quietly pile money into their 401(k) year after year. But here's the real question: how much have the wealthiest 20% actually managed to save in those accounts?

If you're in that group — or aiming for it — you may be surprised at what the numbers reveal.

The definition of "upper class" varies, but economists generally peg it at households earning twice the national median income. With the U.S. median household income hovering around $74,000, that means a starting line of about $150,000 a year.

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It's a wide tent. A newly promoted executive pulling in $160,000 may technically qualify, but they're in a very different place from a partner at a law firm clearing $500,000. Still, $150,000 has become the shorthand for where "upper-class" status begins — and where savings habits really start to diverge.

According to Vanguard's 2025 How America Saves report, participants earning $150,000 or more had an average 401(k) balance of roughly $336,000. The median balance was $188,000. That gap tells an important story: while some accounts are packed with seven figures, many fall closer to the median.

Here's how those numbers stack up against lower brackets:

• $100,000–$149,999 earners: average balance $178,818; median $91,323

• $75,000–$99,999 earners: average balance $106,875; median $51,073

• All participants: average balance $148,153; median just $38,176
  

Even among top earners, the reality is that retirement balances aren't always as impressive as you'd expect. A $336,000 balance may feel substantial, but for a household earning $200,000 a year, it represents only a year and a half of income.

Vanguard's report includes everyone in that $150,000-plus bracket, from a 30-year-old software engineer just hitting stride to a 60-year-old executive closing in on retirement. The wide spread pulls the averages down. It's also a reminder that a big paycheck doesn't automatically translate into a fat nest egg.