How much super do I need to retire?

The Retirement Standard from ASFA (the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia) estimates a couple needs about $730,000 at 67 for a comfortable retirement, and a single about $630,000. It assumes you own your home and receive a part Age Pension.

What is a good investment return?

Long-term returns for balanced funds (60-76% growth assets) typically average 7-8% p.a. over 10 years, but returns vary significantly year to year.

Super Balance Projector

Project your superannuation balance at retirement based on your current savings and contributions.

Updated October 2026Built and checked by MaverickHow it's calculated Report an error

Your numbers

Updates as you type

Current age*

30y

Your age now

Retirement age*

67y

Age pension age is 67. Preservation age 60

Current super balance*

$50k

Total super across all funds today

Annual income (before tax)*

$90k

Your gross annual salary

SG rate (current: 12%)*

12%

Super Guarantee 12% from 1 Jul 2025

Annual salary sacrifice

Concessional cap: 32,500/yr including SG

Investment return (balanced fund: 7.5%)*

7.5%

Your assumption, before the fees below. For comparison, APRA's median MySuper return over ten years was 8.03% a year after fees and taxes

Annual admin fees ($)*

$100

Fixed annual fee charged by your fund

Investment fees (% MER)*

0.8%

Investment fees and costs from your fund's statement. In APRA's data, MySuper total fees on a $50,000 balance range from 0.49% to 1.31%

Inflation rate (current AUS: 4.3%)*

4.3%

RBA target 2-3%. Used for present value calc

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How it works

Super is likely to be one of the biggest things you own. Put in your age, income, balance and contributions to see roughly what you'd have at retirement, in today's dollars, and how much a change like salary sacrificing or a cheaper fund would add.

1Enter your current age and planned retirement age.
2Input your current super balance and annual income.
3Adjust the employer contribution rate if needed (currently 12%).
4Add any voluntary contributions (salary sacrifice) you plan to make.
5Review the investment return and fee assumptions.
6View your projected balance at retirement.

The figures today

Across 50 MySuper products, the typical return over the ten years to 30 June 2026 was 8.0% a year after fees and tax, and the typical fee on a $50,000 balance was $408 a year, from APRA's data.

Every MySuper product ranked

Worked examples

The Early Starter

Sarah is 25, earns $70k, and has $15k in super. She salary sacrifices $20/week.

Even a small $20/week contribution at age 25 can grow to over $100,000 extra by retirement due to compounding.

Late Bloomer

Mike is 50, earns $120k, has $200k in super. He wants to catch up.

Using all of his concessional cap ($32,500 a year) is what lifts Mike's balance most in the 17 years he has left.

Questions people ask

How much super do I need to retire?: The Retirement Standard from ASFA (the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia) estimates a couple needs about $730,000 at 67 for a comfortable retirement, and a single about $630,000. It assumes you own your home and receive a part Age Pension.
What is a good investment return?: Long-term returns for balanced funds (60-76% growth assets) typically average 7-8% p.a. over 10 years, but returns vary significantly year to year.

The terms, in plain English

Concessional Contributions: Pre-tax contributions like employer guarantee and salary sacrifice. Taxed at 15% in the fund.
Compounding: Earning returns on your returns. The snowball effect that grows your super over time.
Preservation Age: The age you can access your super, usually between 55 and 60 depending on your birth date.

Official sources

Optimize Your Contributions

See how salary sacrifice compares to take-home pay.

Check Co-contribution

See if the government will match your contributions.

Good to know

Super Guarantee is 12%, the final legislated rate since 1 July 2025 (no further scheduled increases).
Investment returns compound over time – the earlier you start, the better.
Fees erode your balance. Lowering fees by just 1% can add thousands to your final balance.
This calculator assumes contributions are taxed at 15% upon entry.

Tips

Try adding $50/week in salary sacrifice to see the long-term impact.
Check your actual fund fees: in APRA's 2026 data, MySuper products charged 0.49% to 1.31% of a $50,000 balance in total fees, with a median of 0.82%.
Consider consolidating multiple super accounts to stop paying multiple sets of fees.

Common mistakes

Assuming high investment returns (e.g., >10%) will happen every year.
Forgetting that inflation reduces the future buying power of your money.
Not checking insurance premiums which are deducted from your balance.

Compare the real products

Every MySuper fund's returns, fees and test resultTen-year returns after fees, fees at five balances and APRA's performance test, from APRA's annual data.

Disclaimer: Estimates only. Interest rates, fees and policies change frequently. Always verify with lenders directly. General information, not personal financial advice.