How this calculator works

Each year, the calculator works out your contribution (your percentage of pay, capped at the IRS limit for your age) and the employer match, adds them in monthly installments and grows the balance at your expected return. Your salary rises by the yearly raise you enter. The balance is also shown in today’s dollars by removing inflation, which is a better guide to what it will buy.

A typical match such as “50% up to 6%” means the employer adds 50 cents for every dollar you contribute, on contributions up to 6% of your pay — so you need to put in at least 6% to collect the full match.

Your contribution = min(salary × your %, IRS limit for your age) Match = min(your contribution, salary × cap %) × match % Each month: balance = balance × (1 + r) + (contribution + match) ÷ 12 Today's dollars = balance ÷ (1 + inflation)^years

Assumptions and tips

2026 IRS limits: $24,500 employee deferral; catch-up $8,000 at age 50+, or $11,250 at ages 60–63. Future limits rise with inflation; holding them at 2026 levels is conservative.
Returns are an assumed steady average; real markets go up and down. Fees, taxes, vesting and loans are not modeled.

Worked example

Using the default values in the calculator above:

Input	Value
Current age	30
Retirement age	67
Annual salary	$70,000
Yearly raise	3 %
Your contribution	8 % of pay
Employer match	50 % of what you put in
…up to	6 % of pay
Current 401(k) balance	$25,000
Expected annual return	6 %
Inflation (for today’s dollars)	2.5 %

Result	Value
Balance at 67	$1,705,756
In today’s dollars	$684,122
Your contributions	$370,576
Employer match	$138,966
Investment growth	$1,171,214
This year: you put in	$5,600
This year: employer adds	$2,100
4% rule: first-year income	$68,230/yr

Balance by age:

Age	You	Employer	Balance
Age 31	$5,600	$2,100	$34,410
Age 32	$5,768	$2,163	$44,621
Age 33	$5,941	$2,228	$55,689
Age 35	$6,303	$2,364	$80,636
Age 40	$7,307	$2,740	$162,605
Age 45	$8,471	$3,176	$281,009
Age 50	$9,820	$3,682	$449,559
Age 55	$11,384	$4,269	$686,826
Age 60	$13,197	$4,949	$1,017,913
Age 65	$15,299	$5,737	$1,476,718
Age 67	$16,230	$6,086	$1,705,756

Step by step:

Year 1 contribution = $70,000 × 8% = $5,600
Match = min($5,600, $70,000 × 6%) × 50% = $2,100
Monthly return = (1 + 6%)^(1/12) − 1 = 0.4868%
Each month: balance × (1 + r) + ($5,600 + $2,100) ÷ 12; salary rises 3% a year for 37 years

Balance at 67 by contribution rate

Same example (age 30, $70,000, 3% raises, 50% match up to 6%, $25,000 saved, 6% return), changing only your contribution.

You contribute	Balance at	Employer match
3% of pay	$825,388	$69,483
6% of pay	$1,434,873	$138,966
8% of pay	$1,705,756	$138,966
10% of pay	$1,976,638	$138,966
12% of pay	$2,247,521	$138,966
15% of pay	$2,653,844	$138,966

Common mistakes to avoid

Contributing less than the match cap — that leaves free employer money unclaimed.
Judging the projected balance in future dollars; check the “today’s dollars” figure.
Forgetting that withdrawals from a traditional 401(k) are taxed as income.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 401(k) limit for 2026?

$24,500 of employee contributions, plus $8,000 catch-up if you are 50 or older (or $11,250 if you are 60–63).

What does a 50% match up to 6% mean?

If you contribute 6% of pay, your employer adds 3%. Contributing less than 6% leaves part of the match unclaimed.

How much will my 401(k) be worth?

With the default example — age 30, $70,000 salary, 8% contributions, a 50% match up to 6%, $25,000 saved and a 6% return — the projection is shown above; change any input to see your own.

Is the employer match counted toward the $24,500 limit?

No. The $24,500 limit applies to your own deferrals; employer contributions count toward a separate, higher overall limit.

Sources

Built and reviewed by Anirban Kundu, Creator & Editor · M.Sc Physics, 20 years teaching science

Last reviewed: 2026-11-05 · Editorial policy · How we build and check calculators

401(k) Calculator with Employer Match (2026 Limits)

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