Average TSP Balance By Age In 2026 And How To Know If You're On Track

Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Summary Federal employees often wonder if their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is sufficient for retirement. Comparing individual balances to age-group averages and medians offers a valuable benchmark. Years of service can provide even more valuable data. The 2025 overall average TSP balance was $198,000, with a median of $50,000. Generally speaking, average and median balances increase by age. Younger employees should prioritize maximizing contributions and embrace growth-oriented investments, while workers in their 60s must finalize comprehensive plans. Key factors influencing TSP growth include compensation, contribution rates and investment returns. To boost savings, employees should maximize contributions, utilize catch-up options and consider appropriate investment strategies.

TABLE OF CONTENTSWhy You Should Know The Average TSP Balance Average TSP Balance By Age In 2026 Factors Which Can Influence Your TSP Balance How To Calculate If Your TSP Account Is On Track How to Catch Up On TSP Savings Monitoring Your TSP Balance Over Time Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)Man uses calculator and laptop while sitting at desk to calculate contributions. Federal employees can use average TSP balance and similar metrics to help get a broad understanding of how they're doing.GettyEmployees want to know how much they need to save and accumulate during their careers to avoid running out of money in retirement. Federal employees, in particular, want to know if they have accumulated enough in their Thrift Savings Plan accounts to have worry-free retirements. A good way to measure whether enough is being accumulated for retirement is to compare one’s account balance with the balances of other workers in the same age group.

The average balance is the aggregate amount in all the accounts divided by the number of accounts. The median balance is the balance that is the midpoint after all the balances are sorted from highest to lowest. The median will be less than the average, because relatively few accounts with high balances increase the average. An employee with a balance exceeding the average has saved more than most employees of the same age. An employee whose balance lags the median is well behind most others in the age group.