401(k) Calculator
Use this 401k calculator to project your balance at retirement from your salary, your contribution rate and your employer match. It applies the 2026 IRS limits: $24,500 in elective deferrals, an $8,000 catch-up from age 50 and $11,250 at ages 60 to 63. You'll see how much you put in, how much your employer adds and how much comes from investment growth.
Updated
Results
- Your total contributions
- Total employer match
- Investment growth
- Your contributions this year
- Employer match this year
- Your 2026 deferral limitIncludes the catch-up for your age
- Limit reached
| Age at year end | Your contributions | Employer match | Balance |
|---|
Results are estimates. See the methodology below.
How to use the calculator
- Enter your current age and the age you plan to retire.
- Enter your annual salary and the percent you contribute, counting pre-tax and Roth deferrals together.
- Describe the employer match the way your plan does: “50% up to 6% of pay” means 50 in the first match field and 6 in the second.
- Add your current 401(k) balance and an expected annual return, net of fund fees.
- Under more options, set an annual raise (3% by default).
A note appears if your chosen percentage is more than the IRS lets you defer this year.
How the projection works
- Your contribution = salary × contribution %, capped at the deferral limit for your age: $24,500, plus $8,000 if you're 50 or older, or $11,250 instead of $8,000 at ages 60 to 63.
- Salary counts only up to the 2026 compensation limit of $360,000.
- Employer match = match % × your contributions, counting contributions only up to the match limit as a percent of salary.
- Your regular deferrals plus employer money can't exceed the $72,000 annual additions limit; catch-up contributions sit on top of it.
- Contributions go in monthly, and the annual return is converted into an equivalent monthly rate and compounded.
The IRS adjusts these limits for inflation most years, but the calculator holds them at 2026 levels, so projections for people who contribute at the limit are conservative. Results are in future (nominal) dollars and leave out taxes, fees beyond your net return, vesting, loans and withdrawals.
Worked examples
1. Age 35, $85,000 salary, 10% with a 50% match up to 6%
With a $30,000 balance, 7% return and 3% raises, you put in $8,500 this year and your employer adds $2,550. By 65 you'll have contributed $404,391, your employer $121,317, and growth adds $1,150,407 for a balance of $1,706,115. At a 5% return, the same plan ends at $1,200,247.
2. Age 25, $55,000 salary, 100% match up to 4%
| You contribute | Match this year | Balance at 65 |
|---|---|---|
| 3% | $1,650 | $996,897 |
| 4% | $2,200 | $1,329,196 |
| 6% | $2,200 | $1,661,495 |
Assumes 7% return and 3% raises. Going from 3% to 4% captures the full match.
3. Age 52 using catch-up contributions
On a $180,000 salary, a 20% contribution hits the cap of $32,500 ($24,500 + $8,000). From 60 to 63 the cap rises to $35,750. With a 50% match up to 6%, a $250,000 balance, a 6% return and no raises, you contribute $500,500 by 67, your employer $81,000, and the balance reaches $1,522,697.
What the result doesn't tell you
Traditional deferrals lower your taxable income now and are taxed when withdrawn; Roth deferrals are taxed now and qualified withdrawals are tax-free. The projection treats both the same. Your own deferrals are always 100% vested, but employer contributions may follow a vesting schedule set by your plan, such as cliff vesting after 3 years or graded vesting from year 2 to year 6. Leaving before you're vested can cost part of the match. Returns are not guaranteed; try several rates. This is not investment or tax advice; check your plan's summary plan description or a financial professional.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?
You can defer up to $24,500 of salary. If you're 50 or older you can add an $8,000 catch-up, for $32,500. Total contributions from you and your employer, excluding catch-ups, are capped at $72,000.
What is the catch-up for ages 60 to 63?
Under SECURE 2.0, participants aged 60 through 63 get a higher catch-up of $11,250 instead of $8,000, so their 2026 deferral limit is $35,750. At 64 it returns to the regular catch-up.
Do I have to make catch-up contributions as Roth?
Starting in 2026, if your FICA wages from the employer sponsoring the plan were more than $150,000 in the prior year, your catch-up contributions must go in as Roth. The calculator doesn't separate Roth from pre-tax money.
How does an employer match work?
The plan matches part of what you contribute, up to a percentage of your pay. With a 50% match up to 6% on $85,000, contributing 6% or more earns the full $2,550 a year; contributing less earns proportionally less.
Does the employer match count toward the $24,500 limit?
No. The $24,500 limit applies only to your own deferrals. Employer contributions count toward the $72,000 annual additions limit together with your regular deferrals.
What return should I assume?
No one knows future returns, and the right figure depends on how your account is invested. Compare a few rates: in the first example, dropping from 7% to 5% lowers the projected balance from $1,706,115 to $1,200,247.
Sources
This calculator provides estimates for educational purposes and is not investment, tax or legal advice. Your plan's rules, fees and actual returns will determine your real balance.