AnswerAt age 27 with $100k income, the median US net worth is $26,000. The 75th percentile is $80,000. You can see where you rank below.
Median: $26,000 · 75th percentile: $80,000
Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 2025 data (released Oct 2026), computed from public microdata
Am I behind at age 27 on $100k?
Median net worth for US households age 27 earning $100k is $26,000; top 10% starts at $256,000. Computed from the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances.
A 27-year-old household in the $50,000 to $100,000 income tier has a median net worth of $26,000 in SCF 2025, while the 75th percentile is $80,000. That spread shows how much saving habits, housing costs, and loan sizes matter. Income opens the door to saving, but net worth at 27 still depends heavily on what happened to each paycheck.
Your numbers
Peer group: age under 35 · $50,000 – $100,000Your $26,000 ranks ahead of 50% of US households age under 35 earning $50,000 – $100,000.
Another $230,000 in net worth would put you in the top 10% for your peer group.
How this number is calculated
We look up your age and income in the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (the most recent SCF, released Oct 2026), then interpolate your position between 25th/50th/75th/90th/99th percentile breakpoints for that age×income cell. The Fed does not publish those cells, so we compute them from its public microdata. Figures are in 2025 USD, and cells with few sampled families are noisy. Households with similar age and income show meaningful net-worth variance — the percentile reflects how your balance sheet compares to theirs, not to the full US population.
What these numbers mean for age 27, $100k
A household near $100,000 at 27 often includes an engineer, consultant, finance associate, manager, or a couple with two solid incomes. The median of $26,000 is about 0.3x annual income and a little below the $33,000 median for all under-35 households. A quarter of households here hold $3,000 or less. Popular guidelines such as one times salary saved by 30 sit far above the median, so most similar households are behind them. A 27-year-old is compared with the whole under-35 group and sits nearer its middle.
Three factors explain most of the distance between the 25th percentile of $3,000 and the 75th of $80,000: housing cost, student loan size, and whether the employer matches retirement contributions. As an illustration, someone paying $3,500 a month in rent versus $1,800 has about $20,400 more per year to save. If that gap were invested at a 7% real return for five years it would grow to roughly $117,000. Few households save the whole difference, but it shows why identical incomes produce very different balances.
The 90th percentile of $256,000 and the 99th of $1.08M usually involve stock compensation, a home that gained value, or family money toward a down payment. For most households a better yardstick is the span between the median and the 75th percentile. Directing part of each raise to savings before lifestyle costs rise is one of the most common differences between the two. This is educational context, not financial advice.
Benchmarks for age 27, $100k
Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 2025 (released October 9, 2026); cells computed from public microdata. Figures in 2025 USD. Cells built on fewer than about 100 sampled families are noisy. Your seeded percentile if net worth equals the median for this cell: 50th.
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Frequently asked questions
What separates the median from the 75th percentile at this age and income?
Mostly housing cost, loan balances, and retirement match capture. A household near the median often carries high rent and substantial loans, while one near the 75th percentile of $80,000 typically has lower fixed costs and little debt left. Raises and bonuses saved rather than spent also compound over time.
How much should a $100,000 earner have saved by 27?
A common guideline is one times salary by age 30, about $100,000 here. The median of $26,000 is far below that, so most households are behind it, and it measures retirement savings rather than total net worth. As an illustration, saving 20% of $100,000 for five years at a 7% real return reaches about $115,000.
Is buying a starter home a good idea at 27 on this income?
It depends on the market and how long you expect to stay. In steadier mid-cost cities with a multi-year plan the math often works. In expensive markets the monthly cost of a small condo can exceed rent by enough that investing the difference wins over a short horizon. This is general education, not advice.
Does a career break at 27 hurt long-term wealth?
A short break matters little if saving resumes afterward. Missed contributions compound, though: a skipped $10,000 contribution would have grown to about $107,000 over 35 years at a 7% real return. Longer breaks without any retirement saving have a larger effect, which is an illustration rather than a forecast.
What is different about planning at 27 compared with 25 at this income?
The survey figures are identical because both ages share the under-35 bracket. In practice, by 27 many people have had a first raise or promotion, which makes lifestyle choices more consequential. Directing a raise toward savings rather than rent or a car payment is the decision that tends to compound.
Should a $100,000 earner at 27 consider a Roth conversion ladder?
Usually not as a first priority. Conversion ladders are mainly used by people planning to retire early and want access to retirement money before the usual age. At 27, with income likely to rise, filling the employer plan and an IRA comes first. Your plans and tax situation matter, so this is not advice.
Methodology & data sources
Calculations on this page use benchmarks from US federal statistical agencies. Percentile breakpoints are interpolated linearly between tabulated cells. Figures are in the dollars of each dataset's reference year unless noted. Numbers are educational estimates, not personalized financial advice.
Net worth figures come from the Federal Reserve SCF 2025 (2025 dollars). Age medians match the Fed's published tables; the age × income cells are computed from the public microdata, and cells with fewer than about 100 sampled families are noisy. Full methodology.