# Your 401(k) at 35-44: Reality Check vs. Retirement Goals

Vanguard's latest data just dropped, and the numbers are eye-opening for millennials hitting their late 30s and 40s.

**The headline:** Average 401(k) balance in this age bracket sits at **$91,281**. Sounds decent until you dig deeper.

**The ugly truth:** Median balance is only **$35,537** — that's less than 40% of the average. Translation: Most people have way less saved than the average suggests. The gap exists because some high-balance accounts pull the average up hard.

**The target you're probably missing:** Financial pros recommend having 3x your annual salary stashed by 40. Average salary in this group? Around $67,600. Target balance? **~$203,000**. You're sitting at roughly 45% of that.

**What this means:**
- If you've got $91k, you're ahead of median but below retirement planning benchmarks
- These numbers only count your current employer's 401(k) — doesn't include old IRAs, side accounts, or rollovers from previous jobs
- Median hits so different because it captures real-world behavior: people job-hopping, starting late, or just not maxing contributions

**The takeaway:** Mid-40s approaching? Time to accelerate contributions or reassess your retirement math. You've got roughly 20 years to compound — that's still real runway.