AnswerAt age 27 with $50k income, the median US net worth is $12,000. The 75th percentile is $39,000. You can see where you rank below.
Median: $12,000 · 75th percentile: $39,000
Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 2025 data (released Oct 2026), computed from public microdata
Am I behind at age 27 on $50k?
Median net worth for US households age 27 earning $50k is $12,000; top 10% starts at $141,000. Computed from the Federal Reserve's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances.
Two or three years past a first full-time job, a 27-year-old household in the $25,000 to $50,000 income tier typically holds a net worth of $12,000, the SCF 2025 median, while the top quarter starts at $39,000. That is about 0.2x of annual income. Most households here are past the first scramble of the early twenties but still laying the foundation for compounding.
Your numbers
Peer group: age under 35 · $25,000 – $50,000Your $12,000 ranks ahead of 50% of US households age under 35 earning $25,000 – $50,000.
Another $129,000 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, $50k
By 27, a $50,000 earner is often a few years into a role such as teacher, paralegal, technician, or nonprofit staffer, perhaps with a small raise, a vested retirement match, and a smaller loan balance. The median of $12,000 is the same figure shown for age 25 because both ages fall in the under-35 bracket, and a 27-year-old sits nearer the middle of that group than a 25-year-old. A quarter of households here hold $1,000 or less. A popular guideline of one times salary saved by 30 would be $50,000 here, well above the median.
The 75th percentile of $39,000 is within reach of a household that kept saving steadily. As an illustration, setting aside 12% of $50,000 ($6,000 a year) at a 7% real return builds to roughly $34,500 over five years, close to that mark. People who get there often have a car paid off, a starter emergency fund, or have started making extra loan payments. The 90th percentile of $141,000 usually needs help from family, a partner, or an unusually low cost of living.
Age 27 is also when some households weigh graduate school as a way to raise income. The decision is not simple: borrowing $80,000 for a degree on top of an existing $20,000 balance can push net worth deeply negative just as peers start compounding. Being below the usual milestones is common here, and the typical under-35 household is lower in SCF 2025 than in the 2022 survey after inflation, though sampling error makes the size of that shift uncertain.
Benchmarks for age 27, $50k
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
Is a 27-year-old at $50,000 wealthier than a 25-year-old at the same income?
On the page, no: both share the under-35 bracket, so the medians are identical at $12,000. In real life two more working years usually mean more retirement contributions, a smaller loan balance, and a slightly bigger emergency fund, so a 27-year-old often sits somewhat higher within the same range.
Should a 27-year-old at $50,000 consider graduate school?
It is a case-by-case choice that turns on the field, the total cost, and the salary gain. Programs that raise earnings substantially can pay off, while ones that add a modest bump rarely cover the loans and lost income. Compare the likely pay gain with the debt before enrolling, as this is general education, not advice.
How long until a first promotion is typical?
It varies by field, but a first meaningful title or pay step often comes within a few years of starting. If pay has barely moved after several years, some people find that changing employers is one route to a larger raise. Raises matter for net worth because they raise the amount available to save each year.
How much should be in retirement savings by 27 at this income?
A common guideline is one times salary saved by age 30, which is about $50,000 here. The median net worth of $12,000 is far below that, which shows that most similar households are behind the guideline. It is a rough benchmark for retirement savings, not a pass or fail test.
Is owning a home realistic on $50,000 at 27?
In some lower-cost markets, yes, particularly with a low-down-payment loan such as FHA, which allows 3.5% down. In high-cost metros it can be a stretch, and renting while investing the difference can make more sense. Closing costs and upkeep also matter, so this is general education, not advice.
Does marriage or a partner change how I read these figures?
Substantially. The survey measures household income and household net worth, so a partner's assets and debts are included. A married couple can land in this tier with two modest incomes, and their combined figures can look quite different from a single person's. Individual circumstances inside a household are not separated.
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.