Average Super Balance at 65 in Australia

2 years to Age Pension — final-year decisions.

ATO median for the 65-69 age band is $195,000.00. Projected to 67 at band-average salary: $240,644.00. 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 (2 yrs to go)$240,644.00
Single comfortable target$630,000.00
Gap (shortfall)$389,356.00
Extra monthly contribution to close the gap$15,675.00/mo
03 —BREAKDOWN
Peer median (65-69)$195,000.00
Vs peer median$0.00 above the median for 65-69
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).
Share
Edit inputs ↑

Where 65 sits in the life-stage map

At 65, you can access super unconditionally (no work test required from 1 July 2022). Age Pension eligibility starts at 67. This is when the retirement income structure — account-based pension, transition from accumulation, Age Pension interaction — gets locked in. Final-year contribution decisions still matter for the years ahead of drawdown.

Why the balance at 65 matters: The 65-69 median ($195,000) is actually lower than 60-64 because retirees start drawing down. The remaining 2-5 years of compounding have less leverage, but tax structure decisions made at 65 affect every year of drawdown that follows.

Biggest lever at 65

Account-based pension setup — converting accumulation to pension phase means earnings tax drops from 15% to 0% on amounts up to the transfer balance cap ($2.1M in 2026-27). Over a 25-year retirement, this can add hundreds of thousands to your total income.

Common traps at 65

  • Starting the Age Pension application late — you can apply 13 weeks before age 67; waiting loses backdated entitlement.
  • Not running an Age Pension asset-test sensitivity check — keeping $50k less in super (e.g. by paying off remaining mortgage) can unlock meaningfully more Age Pension depending on your asset position.
  • Taking a cash lump sum and parking it in a term deposit — interest is taxable, but pension phase earnings are not. Keep it inside super as pension if the structure allows.

The numbers at 65 — how the projection works

Your current age 65
Years to age 67 (ASFA anchor) 2
Peer median (65-69) $195,000.00
Band-average salary (ABS) $70,000.00
SG contribution at 12% (annual) $8,400.00
Projected at 67 (median + SG only, 7% p.a.) $240,644.00
ASFA single comfortable target at 67 $630,000.00
Shortfall $389,356.00
Extra monthly contribution to close the gap $15,675.00/mo

Compare adjacent ages

← Super balance at 60 All ages + hub

Related tools

Useful next steps for your super position at age 65.

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 65 in Australia?
For the 65-69 age band, the ATO Taxation Statistics 2021-22 median member balance is 195,000.00. The mean is 402,000.00, 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 65?
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 65 with the band-average salary ($70,000.00) would need to already have around 324,785.00 — adjusting for extra contributions of roughly $15,675.00 per month between now and 67.
Is 195,000.00 enough at 65?
For the 65-69 band, 195,000.00 is exactly median — half of Australians your age have less, half more. Projected forward to 67 at the band-average salary of $70,000.00, SG alone at 12% grows it to approximately $240,644.00. That's below the ASFA single comfortable target of 630,000.00 by $389,356.00. Closing the gap needs about $15,675.00 per month of extra contributions.
How do I catch up super at 65?
Account-based pension setup — converting accumulation to pension phase means earnings tax drops from 15% to 0% on amounts up to the transfer balance cap ($2.1M in 2026-27). Over a 25-year retirement, this can add hundreds of thousands to your total income.
Should I salary sacrifice at 65?
Generally yes if your marginal tax rate is above 15%. With 2 years of compounding at 7% nominal, every $100 per month extra at 65 becomes roughly $2,484.00 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.