401(k) Calculator
See what your 401(k) could grow to by retirement, how much of it your employer pays for, and whether you’re contributing enough to collect the full match. 2026 IRS limits are built in.
≈ $577,469 in today’s dollars. Pre-tax if traditional; tax-free if Roth.
You’re collecting the full employer match: $2,100 this year.
Year-by-year table
| Age | Added | Growth that year | Total contributed | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | $6,300 | $2,013 | $31,300 | $33,313 |
| 32 | $6,489 | $2,621 | $37,789 | $42,423 |
| 33 | $6,684 | $3,285 | $44,473 | $52,392 |
| 34 | $6,884 | $4,013 | $51,357 | $63,289 |
| 35 | $7,091 | $4,807 | $58,448 | $75,187 |
| 36 | $7,303 | $5,674 | $65,751 | $88,164 |
| 37 | $7,523 | $6,620 | $73,274 | $102,306 |
| 38 | $7,748 | $7,649 | $81,022 | $117,704 |
| 39 | $7,981 | $8,770 | $89,002 | $134,454 |
| 40 | $8,220 | $9,989 | $97,222 | $152,663 |
| 41 | $8,467 | $11,313 | $105,689 | $172,443 |
| 42 | $8,721 | $12,751 | $114,410 | $193,914 |
| 43 | $8,982 | $14,312 | $123,392 | $217,209 |
| 44 | $9,252 | $16,005 | $132,644 | $242,465 |
| 45 | $9,529 | $17,840 | $142,173 | $269,834 |
| 46 | $9,815 | $19,827 | $151,988 | $299,477 |
| 47 | $10,110 | $21,980 | $162,098 | $331,566 |
| 48 | $10,413 | $24,310 | $172,511 | $366,289 |
| 49 | $10,725 | $26,830 | $183,236 | $403,844 |
| 50 | $11,047 | $29,555 | $194,283 | $444,447 |
| 51 | $11,379 | $32,501 | $205,662 | $488,326 |
| 52 | $11,720 | $35,685 | $217,382 | $535,731 |
| 53 | $12,071 | $39,123 | $229,453 | $586,925 |
| 54 | $12,434 | $42,836 | $241,887 | $642,194 |
| 55 | $12,807 | $46,843 | $254,693 | $701,844 |
| 56 | $13,191 | $51,168 | $267,884 | $766,203 |
| 57 | $13,587 | $55,833 | $281,471 | $835,623 |
| 58 | $13,994 | $60,865 | $295,465 | $910,482 |
| 59 | $14,414 | $66,290 | $309,879 | $991,186 |
| 60 | $14,846 | $72,139 | $324,725 | $1,078,171 |
| 61 | $15,292 | $78,441 | $340,017 | $1,171,905 |
| 62 | $15,751 | $85,232 | $355,767 | $1,272,887 |
| 63 | $16,223 | $92,548 | $371,990 | $1,381,658 |
| 64 | $16,710 | $100,427 | $388,700 | $1,498,795 |
| 65 | $17,211 | $108,911 | $405,911 | $1,624,917 |
Ask about your numbers
Get a plain-English read of the result above: what drives it, what to try changing. It sends only the numbers in this calculator and your question. Educational only, not financial advice.
The match is a staircase that stops
Your employer’s money climbs with every percent you contribute, until the cap. Past it, extra contributions are still yours and still tax-advantaged, but there’s no more free money. Drag your contribution and watch the step.
Employer adds 1.5% of pay
You’re leaving 1.5% of your salary on the table every year. Instant return on matched dollars: 50%.
2026 401(k) contribution limits
| Age in 2026 | Your deferral limit | Total incl. employer |
|---|---|---|
| Under 50 | $24,500 | $72,000 |
| 50–59 and 64+ | $32,500 | $80,000 |
| 60–63 | $35,750 | $83,250 |
Source: IRS, 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026 (IR-2025-111). From 2026, SECURE 2.0 requires catch-up contributions from employees who earned more than $150,000 in FICA wages the prior year to go into a Roth account. All 2026 and 2025 figures, plus IRA limits, are on our contribution limits page.
How this calculator handles the details
- Monthly deposits: your contribution and the match land every month, as with payroll, and compound at your return.
- Raises: salary grows each year, so contributions and match grow with it, but your deferral never exceeds the limit for your age that year.
- Vesting: not modelled. If you might leave before your employer’s vesting schedule completes, some of the match could be forfeited.
- Fees: use a return net of your fund expense ratios.
Not sure whether to pick the Roth or traditional option in your plan? Run your tax rates through the Roth vs Traditional calculator. When you want the whole picture, including Social Security, use the retirement calculator.
Questions people ask
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?
Employees can defer up to $24,500 in 2026. If you are 50 or older you can add an $8,000 catch-up ($32,500 total), and ages 60–63 get a larger $11,250 catch-up ($35,750 total). Employee plus employer contributions together are capped at $72,000 (IRS, IR-2025-111).
How does a 401(k) employer match work?
A typical formula is “50% of what you contribute, up to 6% of pay”. On a $70,000 salary that means if you contribute 6% ($4,200), your employer adds $2,100. Contribute less than 6% and you give up part of the match. Vanguard’s How America Saves reports an average employer match of about 4.6% of pay.
Does the employer match count toward the $24,500 limit?
No. The $24,500 is your own elective deferral limit. Employer contributions count only toward the $72,000 overall limit.
What if my salary grows?
Enter an expected yearly raise. Your contributions and match are percentages of pay, so they rise too, which makes a big difference over a career. Deferrals are capped at the IRS limit for your age each year (held at 2026 levels in this calculator).
Roth 401(k) or traditional 401(k)?
Traditional contributions lower your taxable income now and are taxed on withdrawal; Roth contributions are taxed now and come out tax-free. The match itself has historically gone into the pre-tax side. Our Roth vs Traditional calculator compares the two for your tax rates.
How much does a 401(k) contribution reduce my paycheck?
Less than the contribution itself if you use the traditional option, because it comes out before federal income tax. At a 22% bracket, $200 per paycheck into a traditional 401(k) lowers take-home pay by about $156 (Social Security and Medicare tax still apply). The calculator shows this per paycheck.
How much should I have in my 401(k) by age?
Fidelity’s widely quoted guideline is 1× your salary saved by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 8× by 60 and 10× by 67, counting all retirement savings. It assumes saving about 15% of pay (including any match) from age 25.
What happens to my 401(k) if I leave my job?
Your own contributions and vested employer money stay yours. You can usually leave it in the plan, roll it into your new employer’s plan, or roll it into an IRA. Cashing out before 59½ generally triggers income tax plus a 10% penalty.
Is my 401(k) balance before or after tax?
For a traditional 401(k) the projected balance is pre-tax: withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income. For a Roth 401(k), qualified withdrawals are tax-free.