This is the average 401(k) balance for ages 35 to 44

Are you 40 years old and trying to figure out where you stand financially compared to your peers? There is a lot of variation in this stage of life. Income is just starting to become healthy for most in this group, which means you may not have had much of a chance to save some money. Chances are you’ve had to choose between buying a home or putting something away for retirement.

Against this backdrop, here’s a look at the average 401(k) balance for people ages 35 to 44.

The number(s) in question

The data comes from mutual fund company and pension plan manager Vanguard Group. Its most recent report, “How America Saves,” found that the average 401(k) account for 35- to 44-year-olds participating in its company retirement plans is worth $91,281.

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There’s an important footnote to this number, though. It’s significantly higher because of a handful of very large accounts. Vanguard’s analysis also includes the median 401(k) balance — the value of an account at the midpoint of all the accounts in question. The median for this age group is just $35,537. That means half of this group has even less saved for retirement. Of course, it also means that half of this group has more saved.

Spend the next 20 years even wiser

Are you doing better than your peers? Great, but don’t get too giggly. You still might not reach your ultimate retirement savings goal. Remember, you only have about 20 years of work left to build up your retirement savings. That may seem like a long time, but it can go by quickly. Don’t give up now.

If instead you’re behind the retirement savings of your peers, that’s okay too. Again, you have 20 years left. That’s plenty of time to catch up. Just don’t waste it. Create a detailed savings plan that’s more aggressive than your current plan, even if it requires cutting back on personal expenses. It’ll be worth it in two decades.