Aim for one year's salary saved by age 30. If you earn $60,000 a year, your target is $60,000 saved across all accounts. That is the most widely cited benchmark, published by Fidelity Investments.

The top guides repeat the one-year-salary rule but never show the catch-up maths. None of them work out what to save each month if you are behind, and none split the target into an emergency fund and retirement savings with exact dollars. This guide does both.

The benchmark is simple. Take your annual salary and that is your savings target at 30. On a $40,000 salary the target is $40,000. On a $60,000 salary it is $60,000. On an $80,000 salary it is $80,000. On a $100,000 salary it is $100,000. The same ladder continues: Fidelity suggests 3 times your salary by 40, 6 times by 50, 8 times by 60, and 10 times by 67.

Split the target into two buckets. First, an emergency fund of 3 to 6 months of expenses, kept in cash. On a $60,000 salary with about $4,000 a month of take-home pay, that is $12,000 to $24,000. Second, retirement savings in a 401(k) or IRA. The two buckets together should reach one year's salary by 30.

Worked example: Maya is 30, earns $60,000 a year, and has $8,000 saved. Her target is $60,000, so her gap is $52,000. If she saves $500 a month at a 7% average annual return, her $8,000 grows to $102,619.69 in 10 years. That passes the age-30 target and puts her well on the way to the age-40 target of $180,000, which is 3 times her salary.

Now work out the exact monthly amount to hit the age-40 target. To reach $180,000 by 40 starting from $8,000 at a 7% average annual return, Maya needs to save $947.07 a month, or about $947 a month. At 15% of her $60,000 salary, which is $750 a month, she would fall short, so she either saves more or extends the timeline.

If you are behind, you are in the majority. The median retirement account balance for Americans under 35 is $18,880, and only 39% of that age group has a retirement account at all. The median American under 35 holds just $5,400 in liquid savings. Having $30,000 saved by 30 already puts you ahead of most people your age.

A second benchmark is more forgiving. T. Rowe Price suggests half your annual income saved by 30 and 1.5 times your income by 35. If the Fidelity target feels out of reach, use the T. Rowe Price target as your first milestone, then raise it. The best first step is to save enough to capture the full employer 401(k) match, because that match is an instant 50% to 100% return.

Q: How much should I have saved by 30?

A: Aim for one year's salary saved by 30. On a $60,000 salary that is $60,000 across your emergency fund and retirement accounts.

Q: What if I have nothing saved by 30?

A: You are not alone: most people under 35 have under $19,000 in retirement savings. Start with an emergency fund, capture your full employer match, then save a fixed amount every month.

Q: How much of my salary should I save each month?

A: Aim for 15% of your income for retirement, including any employer match. On a $60,000 salary that is $750 a month.

Q: Does my emergency fund count toward the age-30 target?

A: Yes. The 1-times-salary benchmark counts all savings, including your emergency fund and retirement accounts. Keep the emergency fund in cash and invest the rest.