Pension outlook · worked example
Will I have a £300k pension at 30?
Yes. Starting from the £13k an average saver your age already has, and paying in the auto-enrolment minimum of about £220 a month on the median £39k full-time salary for your age, you're on track for roughly £347k by 67 — you'd pass £300k around age 64. About 68% 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 £347k pot built by 67, about £110,680 is money you put in and roughly £236,677 is investment growth — 68p 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 30Not yetPaid in£13kPot value£13k
- Age 35Not yetPaid in£26kPot value£31k
- Age 40Not yetPaid in£39kPot value£54k
- Age 45Not yetPaid in£53kPot value£84k
- Age 50Not yetPaid in£66kPot value£122k
- Age 55Not yetPaid in£79kPot value£170k
- Age 60Not yetPaid in£92kPot value£232k
- Age 64Not yetPaid in£103kPot value£293k
- Age 65Past £300kPaid in£105kPot value£310k
- Age 67Past £300kPaid in£111kPot value£347k
On these average figures you’d pass £300k around age 64 — and it keeps compounding after that.