401(k) Calculator

Project your 401(k) at retirement from your salary, raises, contribution rate and employer match — with the 2026 IRS limits and age-based catch-ups applied year by year.

The age you reach by December 31 — it sets catch-up limits.
$
$
%
% of pay
Employer match
% %of pay
% %of pay
%
After fund fees.
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To show today’s dollars. 0 to skip.

$1,495,438 at age 67

About $500,946 in today’s dollars · 37 years of contributions

Your contributions
$231,610
year 1: $3,500 ($135 per biweekly check)
Employer match
$115,805
free money · year 1: $1,750
Investment growth
$1,128,024
on $20,000 start + contributions
2026 limit for you
$24,500
under 50: no catch-up
You’re leaving $350 of free money on the table this year. Your employer matches up to 6% of pay; contributing at least 6% gets the full $2,100.

Working

  1. Year 1 (2026, age 30): your 5% of $70,000 = $3,500.00, within your $24,500 limit.
  2. Employer match (50% of the first 6% of pay): you contribute 5% of pay, so the match is 2.5% of $70,000 = $1,750.00. Contributing 6% would earn the full $2,100.00 — you are leaving $350.00 on the table.
  3. Growth: balance × (1 + 7%) + (contributions ÷ 12) × 12.3803 for monthly deposits = $20,000.00 × 1.07 + $5,250.00 ÷ 12 × 12.3803 = $26,816.38 after year 1.
  4. Catch-up: from the year you turn 50 your limit rises to $32,500; in the years you turn 60–63 it is $35,750; from 64 it drops back to $32,500.
  5. After 37 years: $20,000.00 start + $231,609.78 yours + $115,804.89 match + $1,128,023.66 growth = $1,495,438.33.
  6. In today's dollars: $1,495,438.33 ÷ (1 + 3%)^37 = $500,946.32.

Year by year

Shaded rows are the ages when your catch-up limit changes: 50, 60 and 64.

AgeYearSalaryYouEmployerBalance
302026$70,000$3,500$1,750$26,816
312027$72,100$3,605$1,803$34,272
322028$74,263$3,713$1,857$42,418
332029$76,491$3,825$1,912$51,306
342030$78,786$3,939$1,970$60,993
352031$81,149$4,057$2,029$71,542
362032$83,584$4,179$2,090$83,017
372033$86,091$4,305$2,152$95,490
382034$88,674$4,434$2,217$109,035
392035$91,334$4,567$2,283$123,735
402036$94,074$4,704$2,352$139,676
412037$96,896$4,845$2,422$156,950
422038$99,803$4,990$2,495$175,659
432039$102,797$5,140$2,570$195,910
442040$105,881$5,294$2,647$217,816
452041$109,058$5,453$2,726$241,502
462042$112,329$5,616$2,808$267,099
472043$115,699$5,785$2,892$294,748
482044$119,170$5,959$2,979$324,601
492045$122,745$6,137$3,069$356,821
502046$126,428$6,321$3,161$391,581
512047$130,221$6,511$3,256$429,068
522048$134,127$6,706$3,353$469,481
532049$138,151$6,908$3,454$513,034
542050$142,296$7,115$3,557$559,957
552051$146,564$7,328$3,664$610,495
562052$150,961$7,548$3,774$664,910
572053$155,490$7,775$3,887$723,486
582054$160,155$8,008$4,004$786,522
592055$164,960$8,248$4,124$854,342
602056$169,908$8,495$4,248$927,293
612057$175,006$8,750$4,375$1,005,745
622058$180,256$9,013$4,506$1,090,095
632059$185,663$9,283$4,642$1,180,768
642060$191,233$9,562$4,781$1,278,218
652061$196,970$9,849$4,924$1,382,935
662062$202,879$10,144$5,072$1,495,438
Total$231,610$115,805$1,495,438

How to use the 401(k) calculator

Enter the age you reach by the end of 2026, when you plan to retire and your current 401(k) balance. Add your salary, the yearly raise you expect and the percentage of pay you contribute. Then pick your employer’s match formula — tap a common one or type your own; the second line covers two-tier formulas such as 100% of the first 3% plus 50% of the next 2%. Finally, set an expected annual return (after fund fees) and inflation to see the result in today’s dollars.

The projected balance, your contributions, the employer match and investment growth update as you type, with the working and a year-by-year table. If your contribution rate misses part of the match, or runs into the IRS limit, the calculator tells you. Your inputs are kept in the page address, so you can bookmark or share a scenario.

2026 401(k) limits

Limit (2026)Amount
Your elective deferrals (pre-tax + Roth)$24,500
Catch-up, age 50 or older+$8,000 = $32,500
Higher catch-up, turning 60–63 in 2026+$11,250 = $35,750
Total from you and your employer (excluding catch-up)$72,000
Pay that can count toward contributions and the match$360,000

The IRS announced these amounts in November 2025 (Notice 2025-67). Catch-up eligibility depends on the age you reach by December 31, so someone who turns 50 in December can make catch-up contributions all year. The higher catch-up for ages 60–63 was created by the SECURE 2.0 Act; at 64 the limit returns to the regular age-50 catch-up. New for 2026: if your FICA wages from the employer were more than $150,000 in 2025, your catch-up contributions must be Roth (after-tax). The calculator keeps the 2026 dollar limits for every future year; in reality the IRS raises them with inflation, usually in $500 steps, so the cap may bind a little later than shown.

How the match and growth are calculated

your deferral = min(contribution % × pay, $24,500 + catch-up for your age) match = tier-1 rate × (your % up to tier 1) × pay + tier-2 rate × (your % in tier 2) × pay end of year = start × (1 + r) + (deferral + match) ÷ 12 × ((1 + i)^12 − 1) ÷ i i = (1 + r)^(1/12) − 1 today’s dollars = balance ÷ (1 + inflation)^years

The match is based on the share of pay you actually defer, so if the IRS limit caps your contributions, the match is worked out on the capped amount. Contributions are spread evenly across the year and invested monthly, and pay above $360,000 is ignored for both your contributions and the match.

Worked example

The calculator opens with a 30-year-old earning $70,000 with 3% yearly raises, contributing 5% of pay to a plan that matches 50% of the first 6%, with $20,000 already saved, a 7% return and retirement at 67.

  • Year 1: you contribute 5% × $70,000 = $3,500.00; the employer adds 50% × 5% × $70,000 = $1,750.00.
  • The balance after year 1 is $20,000 × 1.07 + $5,250 ÷ 12 × 12.3803 = $26,816.38 (12.3803 is what $1 a month grows to in a year at 7%).
  • After 37 years the projection is $1,495,438: $231,610 from you, $115,805 of employer match and $1,128,024 of investment growth. With 3% inflation that is about $500,946 in today’s dollars.
  • Contributing 5% leaves $350.00 of match unclaimed in year 1. Raising your contribution to 6% earns the full match and lifts the projection to $1,745,632 — $250,193 more, of which $23,161 is extra employer money.

Traditional vs Roth 401(k)

Most plans let you split your contribution between traditional (pre-tax) and Roth (after-tax) deferrals; the $24,500 limit covers both combined. Traditional contributions reduce your taxable pay now, and every dollar you withdraw later is taxed as income. Roth contributions don’t reduce your tax now, but qualified withdrawals — generally after age 59½ once the account is five years old — are tax-free, including the growth. If you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement, Roth usually comes out ahead; if lower, traditional does. Employer matching contributions usually go into the pre-tax side, and the SECURE 2.0 Act lets plans offer Roth matches too. This calculator shows the account balance before any tax, so compare after-tax values when you decide.

Tips

  • Get the full match first. A 50% match is an instant 50% return on those dollars — hard to beat anywhere else.
  • Check vesting. Employer contributions may vest over several years; leave before then and you can forfeit part of the match. Your own contributions are always yours.
  • Watch fees. A 1% yearly fee on a balance that grows for decades can cost a large share of the ending balance; enter your return after fees.
  • Raise your rate with raises. Many plans offer automatic yearly increases; even 1% a year adds up.

To see whether this balance plus Social Security will cover your retirement income, use the retirement calculator; to see what a contribution does to your take-home pay, try the paycheck calculator. This is an estimate for planning, not investment or tax advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?

You can defer up to $24,500 of your pay in 2026. If you are 50 or older by the end of the year you can add a $8,000 catch-up ($32,500 in total), and if you turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 in 2026 the catch-up is $11,250 instead ($35,750 in total). The same limits apply to 403(b) plans, governmental 457 plans and the federal Thrift Savings Plan.

How does an employer 401(k) match work?

The employer adds a percentage of what you contribute, up to a percentage of your pay. With “50% up to 6%”, contributing 6% of a $70,000 salary ($4,200) earns $2,100 from your employer; contributing 4% ($2,800) earns only $1,400. With “100% up to 4%”, every dollar you put in up to 4% of pay is matched dollar for dollar. Your plan’s summary plan description gives the exact formula.

Does the employer match count toward the $24,500 limit?

No. The $24,500 limit covers only your own deferrals (pre-tax and Roth combined). Employer contributions count toward a separate annual-additions limit of $72,000 for 2026, which includes your regular deferrals but not catch-up contributions.

Should I choose a traditional or Roth 401(k)?

Traditional contributions lower your taxable income now, and withdrawals are taxed in retirement. Roth contributions are taxed now, and qualified withdrawals — generally after age 59½ and five years — are tax-free. Roth tends to win if you expect a higher tax rate later; traditional if you expect a lower one. Many people split contributions. The projected balance is the same either way; what differs is the tax on the way in or out.

What happens if I reach the limit before the end of the year?

Your contributions stop for the rest of the year. If your employer matches each paycheck, you can also lose the match for those remaining paychecks unless the plan makes a “true-up” contribution at year end. If you are close to the limit, spreading contributions across all 12 months protects the full match. This calculator spreads contributions evenly over the year.

Sources

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