Average Super Balance at 40 in Australia

27 years to 67 — prime decade for catch-up.

ATO median for the 40-44 age band is $72,000.00. Projected to 67 at band-average salary: $1,296,514.00. ASFA single comfortable target: $595,000.00.

01 —INPUTS

Between 18 and 80. ASFA Retirement Standard anchors on age 67.

Sum of all your super accounts. Check myGov for an up-to-date total.

Used for SG projection. Defaults to ABS average for your age band.

ASFA Retirement Standard Dec 2025 quarter. Assumes home-owner and partial Age Pension.

02 —RESULTS
Projected at 67 (27 yrs to go)$1,296,514.00
Single comfortable target$595,000.00
Surplus above target$701,514.00
03 —BREAKDOWN
Peer median (40-44)$72,000.00
Vs peer median$0.00 above the median for 40-44
Assumptions: nominal growth 7% p.a. (≈4.5% real after 2.5% inflation), SG 12% from 1 Jul 2025, contributions through to age 67. Does not model concessional cap ($30,000.00 in 2025-26).
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Where 40 sits in the life-stage map

At 40, peak earning years have usually arrived; HECS is often paid off freeing up cashflow; kids are in school with childcare winding down. This is when the 'I wish I'd started earlier' realization lands — and the good news is you still have 27 years of compounding ahead.

Why the balance at 40 matters: The 40-44 median ($72,000) looks ok but leaves most people on track for <$400k at 67 — a ~$200k shortfall against the ASFA comfortable target. Closing the gap from 40 is realistic; from 55 it's much harder.

Biggest lever at 40

Concessional contribution cap ($30,000 in 2025-26) is rarely fully used by median-salary workers — SG alone at 12% of $90k is $10,800, leaving $19,200 of cap untapped. A $500/month salary sacrifice uses only ~$6k of that, saves tax at your marginal rate (likely 30-32.5%), and compounds for 27 years.

Common traps at 40

  • Assuming you'll 'catch up later' when the mortgage is paid off — the 40s are when compounding compounds the hardest; you can't buy time back.
  • Over-contributing beyond concessional cap without tracking — excess concessional contributions get taxed at marginal rate + excess tax on top.
  • Not running an ATO 'lost super' search — the ATO holds billions in unclaimed accounts. Takes 3 minutes via myGov.

The numbers at 40 — how the projection works

Your current age 40
Years to age 67 (ASFA anchor) 27
Peer median (40-44) $72,000.00
Band-average salary (ABS) $95,000.00
SG contribution at 12% (annual) $11,400.00
Projected at 67 (median + SG only, 7% p.a.) $1,296,514.00
ASFA single comfortable target at 67 $595,000.00
Surplus $701,514.00

Compare adjacent ages

← Super balance at 35 All ages + hub Super balance at 45 →

Next tools for 40

Retirement (FIRE) Planner

When can you retire — super + non-super modelled together.

Carry-forward cap

5-year unused concessional — catch up in a high-income year.

Contribution optimizer

Salary sacrifice vs non-concessional vs co-contribution.

FHSS — First Home Super Saver

Use super to save a deposit, taxed at 15% not marginal rate.

How long will my super last

Drawdown runway from a given balance at 67.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average super balance at 40 in Australia?
For the 40-44 age band, the ATO Taxation Statistics 2021-22 median member balance is 72,000.00. The mean is 127,000.00, but this is skewed upward by a minority of very high balances — median is the honest peer benchmark.
How much super should I have at 40?
No single answer — it depends on your target retirement lifestyle. To hit the ASFA single comfortable target of 595,000.00 at 67, someone at 40 with the band-average salary ($95,000.00) would need to already have around 72,000.00 — adjusting for extra contributions of roughly $0.00 per month between now and 67.
Is 72,000.00 enough at 40?
For the 40-44 band, 72,000.00 is exactly median — half of Australians your age have less, half more. Projected forward to 67 at the band-average salary of $95,000.00, SG alone at 12% grows it to approximately $1,296,514.00. That's above the ASFA single comfortable target of 595,000.00 by $701,514.00. You are tracking above target.
How do I catch up super at 40?
Concessional contribution cap ($30,000 in 2025-26) is rarely fully used by median-salary workers — SG alone at 12% of $90k is $10,800, leaving $19,200 of cap untapped. A $500/month salary sacrifice uses only ~$6k of that, saves tax at your marginal rate (likely 30-32.5%), and compounds for 27 years.
Should I salary sacrifice at 40?
Generally yes if your marginal tax rate is above 15%. With 27 years of compounding at 7% nominal, every $100 per month extra at 40 becomes roughly $89,381.00 at 67. Against a 15% contributions tax vs your likely 30-32.5% marginal rate, the pre-tax math alone saves $15-17.50 per $100 contributed, before compounding.
Is the calculator projection realistic?
The 7% nominal / 4.5% real p.a. growth assumption is middle-of-the-road. APRA MySuper long-run returns over 10 years to Dec 2025 averaged 6.5-8.5% for Growth options, net of fees. 7% is a sensible planning anchor; stress-test with 5% for a pessimistic scenario. The projection does not model market volatility, fee drag beyond what's already embedded, or the concessional cap.

Sources: ATO Taxation Statistics 2021-22, ASFA Retirement Standard Dec-2025 quarter, ABS Average Weekly Earnings 6302.0.

Last updated 23 April 2026 Tax year 2025-26

Data sources: ATO (ato.gov.au), Services Australia

This tool is general information only, not financial advice.

Reviewed by AusTax Tools Editorial Desk

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