savings 401(k) Calculator
Project what your 401(k) could be worth at retirement, including your employer's match and the 2026 IRS contribution limits.
volunteer_activism Your employer adds $121,704 over 30 years. That is money you only get by contributing.
Limits from IRS Notice 2025-67 (checked 2026-08-01). Growth is compounded monthly on an assumed constant return - real markets do not behave that way, so treat this as a projection, not a forecast. Figures are before inflation and tax.
A 401(k) is the main retirement vehicle for most American workers, and small decisions made early compound into large differences by retirement. This calculator projects your balance from where you are now, taking account of your contribution rate, your employer's match, expected salary growth and investment returns. It also applies the 2026 IRS contribution limits, including the SECURE 2.0 catch-up rules, so the projection never quietly assumes you can contribute more than the law allows.
How to use this tool
- Enter your age and target retirement ageThe gap between them is your investment horizon, which is the single biggest driver of the result.
- Add your current balance and salaryUse your total 401(k) balance today and your current gross annual salary.
- Set your contribution rateEnter what you defer as a percentage of salary. The calculator warns you if that exceeds the IRS limit for your age.
- Add your employer matchEnter the percentage of salary your employer contributes. If your plan matches 50% of the first 6%, that is 3%.
- Set your assumptionsChoose an expected annual return and salary growth rate. These are assumptions, not guarantees - try a few to see the range.
- Read the projectionThe breakdown separates your money, your employer's money and investment growth.
Why use it
- Applies the real 2026 IRS limits, including the age 60 to 63 catch-up that replaces rather than adds to the age 50 one.
- Shows the employer match as its own figure, which is the clearest way to see what you would give up by contributing less.
- Models rising contributions as your salary grows, rather than assuming a flat salary for decades.
- Separates contributions from growth, so you can see how much of the final balance is compounding rather than deposits.
Common uses
- Deciding what contribution rate to set when you start a new job.
- Checking whether you are on track for a target retirement balance.
- Seeing the long-run cost of not contributing enough to earn the full employer match.
- Comparing retiring at 62 against 65 or 67.
- Understanding how much of a projected balance comes from growth rather than what you put in.
Tips for better results
- Contribute at least enough to earn the full employer match. It is an immediate return on your money that nothing else in the plan matches.
- Raise your contribution by one point whenever you get a raise. The take-home impact is small and the long-run effect is large.
- Try a lower return assumption as a stress test. A projection at 5% tells you more about the downside than one at 10%.
- These are pre-tax dollars in a traditional 401(k). You will owe income tax on withdrawal, so the spending power of the final figure is lower than it appears.
Mistakes to avoid
- Contributing less than the employer match threshold, which leaves guaranteed money unclaimed.
- Assuming a high return every year for decades. Real markets are volatile, and a long run of average years is not the same as an average run.
- Forgetting inflation. A projection in today's dollars overstates what the balance will actually buy in thirty years.
- Cashing out a 401(k) when changing jobs. It triggers tax, usually a 10% early withdrawal penalty, and permanently ends the compounding.
Frequently asked questions
The elective deferral limit is $24,500. If you are 50 or older you can add a catch-up of $8,000. Under SECURE 2.0, participants who turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 during the year get a larger catch-up of $11,250 instead, allowing a total of $35,750.
No, it replaces it. At those ages your limit is $24,500 plus $11,250, not plus both catch-ups. At 64 you revert to the standard $8,000 catch-up.
A widely cited target is 15% of gross salary including the employer match. The essential minimum is whatever earns your full match, because anything below that leaves money on the table. Beyond that it depends on your other savings, debts and retirement timeline.
Money your employer adds to your account based on what you contribute. A common formula is 50% of the first 6% you defer, which is worth 3% of salary. Some plans require you to stay a certain number of years before that money fully vests.
There is no correct answer. Long-run US stock market averages have historically been high, but past performance does not guarantee future results and your own allocation matters. Many people model a range - try 5%, 7% and 9% and treat the spread as the realistic uncertainty.
No. The projection is in nominal dollars, so a large future figure will buy less than the same amount today. As a rough adjustment, subtract your inflation assumption from your return assumption to see the result in today's purchasing power.
Traditional contributions are pre-tax, lowering your taxable income now, and withdrawals in retirement are taxed. Roth contributions are made after tax, with qualified withdrawals tax-free. This calculator models the traditional style, where contributions reduce current taxable income.
You can generally leave it with the old plan, roll it into your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. A direct rollover avoids tax and penalties. Cashing out is usually the costliest option because of tax plus a 10% early withdrawal penalty before age 59 and a half.
Generally from age 59 and a half. Some exceptions exist, including the rule allowing penalty-free withdrawals if you leave your employer in or after the year you turn 55. Withdrawals from a traditional 401(k) are still subject to income tax.
Not toward the elective deferral limit of $24,500 - that applies only to your own contributions. There is a separate, higher overall limit covering employee and employer contributions combined.
No. The projection runs entirely in your browser. Nothing about your salary or balance is transmitted or stored.
Yes. The IRS publishes new figures each autumn and they are held in a dated dataset with their source. If you view the page in a year newer than our newest data, a notice tells you to check for updated limits.