Pension outlook · worked example
Will I have a £300k pension at 24?
Yes. Starting from the £4k 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 £310k by 67 — you'd pass £300k around age 66. About 72% 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 £300k — you grow it
Of the £310k pot built by 67, about £86,960 is money you put in and roughly £223,446 is investment growth — 72p 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 24Not yetPaid in£4kPot value£4k
- Age 29Not yetPaid in£14kPot value£16k
- Age 34Not yetPaid in£24kPot value£31k
- Age 39Not yetPaid in£33kPot value£51k
- Age 44Not yetPaid in£43kPot value£75k
- Age 49Not yetPaid in£52kPot value£107k
- Age 54Not yetPaid in£62kPot value£147k
- Age 59Not yetPaid in£72kPot value£198k
- Age 64Not yetPaid in£81kPot value£263k
- Age 66Not yetPaid in£85kPot value£294k
- Age 67Past £300kPaid in£87kPot value£310k
On these average figures you’d pass £300k around age 66 — and it keeps compounding after that.