Average Super Balance at 60 in Australia

Preservation age hit — full access from 65 or retirement.

ATO median for the 60-64 age band is $201,000.00. Projected to 67 at band-average salary: $411,033.00. ASFA single comfortable target: $630,000.00.

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 (7 yrs to go)$411,033.00
Single comfortable target$630,000.00
Gap (shortfall)$218,967.00
Extra monthly contribution to close the gap$2,109.00/mo
03 —BREAKDOWN
Peer median (60-64)$201,000.00
Vs peer median$0.00 above the median for 60-64
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 ($32,500.00 in 2025-26).
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Where 60 sits in the life-stage map

At 60, preservation age is reached. You can access super if you've 'retired' under the condition of release, or start a TTR if still working. Tax-free super pension income becomes possible. For many, this is the 'final sprint' — maximising contributions, paying down the last of the mortgage, and setting up the retirement income structure.

Why the balance at 60 matters: The 60-64 median ($201,000) is the last-chance snapshot — either it's on track, or working past 67 enters the plan, or the retirement lifestyle target drops from comfortable to modest. The arithmetic is transparent at 60 in a way it isn't at 40.

Biggest lever at 60

Non-concessional contribution bring-forward — up to $360,000 in one year (3 years of the $120,000 cap brought forward) if you're under 75 and your TSB is under the transfer balance cap. Common use: inheritance or asset sale proceeds parked into super before retirement pension phase starts.

Common traps at 60

  • Retiring and re-starting work without declaring — triggers the condition-of-release retrospectively and can invalidate access. The ATO's anti-avoidance rules can also apply if you re-contribute withdrawn amounts.
  • Forgetting the $2.1M transfer balance cap (2026-27) when starting a pension — amounts above go back to accumulation phase at 15% earnings tax instead of 0%.
  • Taking a lump sum when an account-based pension would be more tax-efficient — pension income after 60 is tax-free; lump sums may have tax consequences if your TSB structure isn't right.

The numbers at 60 — how the projection works

Your current age 60
Years to age 67 (ASFA anchor) 7
Peer median (60-64) $201,000.00
Band-average salary (ABS) $85,000.00
SG contribution at 12% (annual) $10,200.00
Projected at 67 (median + SG only, 7% p.a.) $411,033.00
ASFA single comfortable target at 67 $630,000.00
Shortfall $218,967.00
Extra monthly contribution to close the gap $2,109.00/mo

Compare adjacent ages

← Super balance at 55 All ages + hub Super balance at 65 →

Related tools

Useful next steps for your super position at age 60.

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.

Downsizer contribution

$300k per person from home sale, outside contribution caps.

How long will my super last

Drawdown runway from a given balance at 67.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average super balance at 60 in Australia?
For the 60-64 age band, the ATO Taxation Statistics 2021-22 median member balance is 201,000.00. The mean is 355,000.00, 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 60?
No single answer — it depends on your target retirement lifestyle. To hit the ASFA single comfortable target of 630,000.00 at 67, someone at 60 with the band-average salary ($85,000.00) would need to already have around 273,989.00 — adjusting for extra contributions of roughly $2,109.00 per month between now and 67.
Is 201,000.00 enough at 60?
For the 60-64 band, 201,000.00 is exactly median — half of Australians your age have less, half more. Projected forward to 67 at the band-average salary of $85,000.00, SG alone at 12% grows it to approximately $411,033.00. That's below the ASFA single comfortable target of 630,000.00 by $218,967.00. Closing the gap needs about $2,109.00 per month of extra contributions.
How do I catch up super at 60?
Non-concessional contribution bring-forward — up to $360,000 in one year (3 years of the $120,000 cap brought forward) if you're under 75 and your TSB is under the transfer balance cap. Common use: inheritance or asset sale proceeds parked into super before retirement pension phase starts.
Should I salary sacrifice at 60?
Generally yes if your marginal tax rate is above 15%. With 7 years of compounding at 7% nominal, every $100 per month extra at 60 becomes roughly $10,385.00 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 March-2026 quarter, ABS Average Weekly Earnings 6302.0.

Tax Accuracy & Sources

Reviewed: March 2026 · Tax year: 2026-27

This calculator is an estimate tool and may not cover all personal circumstances. For state-based taxes, confirm details with your state or territory revenue office.