Pension outlook · worked example
Will I have a £150k pension at 25?
Yes. Starting from the £5k an average saver your age already has, and paying in the auto-enrolment minimum of about £160 a month on the median £31k full-time salary for your age, you're on track for roughly £229k by 67 — you'd pass £150k around age 58. About 62% of that is investment growth, not money you save — you don't need a big income, you need time.
You don’t save your way to £150k — you grow it
Of the £229k pot built by 67, about £86,040 is money you put in and roughly £143,255 is investment growth — 62p in every £1 comes from compounding, not a bigger salary.
Here’s the scenario
A typical earner your age, built from ONS national medians — not a high flyer. Everything is in today’s money.
How the pot builds up
- Age 25Not yetPaid in£5kPot value£5k
- Age 30Not yetPaid in£15kPot value£17k
- Age 35Not yetPaid in£25kPot value£31k
- Age 40Not yetPaid in£34kPot value£48k
- Age 45Not yetPaid in£44kPot value£69k
- Age 50Not yetPaid in£53kPot value£94k
- Age 55Not yetPaid in£63kPot value£125k
- Age 58Not yetPaid in£69kPot value£147k
- Age 60Past £150kPaid in£73kPot value£163k
- Age 65Past £150kPaid in£82kPot value£208k
- Age 67Past £150kPaid in£86kPot value£229k
On these average figures you’d pass £150k around age 58 — and it keeps compounding after that.