What is the recommended amount for a 19-year-old to have in their savings? (2024)

FAQs

How much money should a 19 year old have in their savings? ›

There is no particular amount of money a 19 year old should have in their savings. Lots of different reasons for having and not having money saved. If, you are working full time, you should work to save enough money for 3–6 months expenses.

Early Adulthood. If you are between the ages of 18-24, the average net worth is approximately $28,707 and the median net worth is approximately $8,216. Even in this age group, the average net worth by age is skewed toward the high end.

Six in 10 of the Youngest Adults Have $1,000 or Less

About 61% of that age group has $1,000 or less in savings. The largest percentage by far, about 31%, has only $100 or less.

In fact, people in their 20s were able to save an average of nearly $5,580 last year, according to data from New York Life, putting them third on the list of age groups that saved the most in 2023. That's less than the average amount of $7,148 people in their 20s aimed to save, but how much should you really be saving?

According to the aforementioned recommendations, they should save $116–$232 per month, which amounts to $1,392–$2,784 per year. You can use this to calculate the savings target your child should reach by the age of 18. For instance, if they started working at 16, they should save up to around $5,500.

While $20K may not let you quit your job, it's enough to start building financial security, whether you max out your retirement accounts, invest in fine art, or divide your cash between multiple investments.

From age 18-24, only 1% of earners (7% altogether) earn $100k per year or more. This makes these age groups by far the lowest earners in the US. Americans make the most income gains between 25 and 35. Only 2% of 25-year-olds make over $100k per year, but this jumps to a considerable 12% by 35.

Rule of thumb? Aim to have three to six months' worth of expenses set aside. To figure out how much you should have saved for emergencies, simply multiply the amount of money you spend each month on expenses by either three or six months to get your target goal amount.

Average Salary for Ages 16-19

According to BLS data, the median salary of 16- to 19-year-olds is $609 per week, which comes out to $31,668 per year. That's the median across all races, genders and education levels.

How many Americans have $100,000 in savings? ›

Most American households have at least $1,000 in checking or savings accounts. But only about 12% have more than $100,000 in checking and savings.

Financial experts typically recommend saving up three to six months' worth of necessary expenses in order to have a healthy, fully-funded emergency account. So, there's no specific number that a person in their twenties needs to have in their emergency fund — it should be based on their necessary monthly expenses.

Generally, having at least three to six months of living expenses can offer a safety net if you experience job loss or a medical emergency. For example, if you have monthly expenses of $5,000, aim to save $15,000 to $30,000 in your emergency fund.

Saving $1,000 per month can be a good sign, as it means you're setting aside money for emergencies and long-term goals. However, if you're ignoring high-interest debt to meet your savings goals, you might want to switch gears and focus on paying off debt first.

At least 20% of your income should go towards savings. Meanwhile, another 50% (maximum) should go toward necessities, while 30% goes toward discretionary items. This is called the 50/30/20 rule of thumb, and it provides a quick and easy way for you to budget your money.

However, a good rule of thumb for a 21-year-old is to have $6,000 in a savings account for emergencies and long-term financial goals. And that requires you to learn how to start budgeting and saving money. If you're nowhere near that amount, don't panic.