πΌ 401(k) Calculator
Project your balance with 2026 IRS limits, the employer match, and catch-up contributions.
Projected 401(k) Balance
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice. 2026 IRS limits: $24,500 employee deferral, $8,000 catch-up at 50+, $11,250 super catch-up ages 60-63, $72,000 total additions.
What Is a 401(k), in One Paragraph?
A 401(k) is a retirement account your employer sponsors. You contribute part of each paycheck before it hits your bank account, your employer may add matching money, and everything grows tax-deferred until you withdraw it in retirement. It is the main retirement vehicle for most American workers, and for 2026 you can contribute up to $24,500 of your own money, plus more if you are 50 or older.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your age, retirement age, current balance, salary, the percent of salary you contribute, your expected return, and your employer match formula. The calculator applies the correct 2026 IRS limit for each year of the projection, adds the employer match, compounds monthly, and shows what you put in versus what growth did.
Enter your Current Age and Retirement Age to set the projection length, plus your Current Balance and Annual Salary.
Enter Your Contribution as a percent of salary. The calculator caps it at your IRS limit: $24,500 under 50, $32,500 at 50 plus, $35,750 at ages 60 to 63.
Enter the Employer Match formula from your plan documents: the match percent and the salary percent it applies up to. A 50 percent match up to 6 percent of salary is the most common setup.
Enter an Expected Annual Return and read the projection: final balance, your lifetime contributions, employer match received, and investment gains.
The 2026 IRS Limits, All in One Table
The IRS adjusts these numbers most years. Here are the 2026 figures from IRS Notice 2025-67, with 2025 for comparison.
| Limit | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Employee elective deferral | $24,500 | $23,500 |
| Catch-up, age 50+ | $8,000 (total $32,500) | $7,500 (total $31,000) |
| Super catch-up, ages 60-63 | $11,250 (total $35,750) | $11,250 (total $34,750) |
| Total annual additions (you + employer) | $72,000 | $70,000 |
| Annual compensation considered | $360,000 | $350,000 |
The two limits that confuse people most are the employee deferral and the total additions cap. The $24,500 is what comes out of your paycheck. The $72,000 is a separate, higher ceiling that also counts your employer match and any after-tax contributions. Most workers never touch the $72,000 cap, but high earners maxing out with a generous match should know it exists.
The 401(k) Growth Formula
The projection runs year by year. Each year it computes your contribution under that year's age-based IRS limit, adds the employer match, then grows the balance month by month. Catch-up eligibility is checked per year, so a 48-year-old planning to 65 gets the standard limit now and the catch-up limit from age 50 on, including the super catch-up window at 60 to 63.
Worked Example
You are 35 with $50,000 saved, earn $120,000, contribute 10 percent ($12,000 a year), and your employer matches 50 percent of contributions up to 6 percent of salary. The match is 50 percent of the first $7,200, which is $3,600 a year, for $15,600 of total annual additions, well under every IRS cap. At 7 percent a year for 30 years, the balance grows to $1,991,787.17. Your contributions total $360,000, the employer added $108,000, and compounding did the rest: $1,473,787.17 of gains. The match alone, free money, turned into a meaningful share of the final balance.
How Much of Your Paycheck Should Go In?
The classic guidance is 15 percent of income toward retirement, counting the employer match. On a $120,000 salary with a 4 percent match, that means contributing 11 percent yourself. If 15 percent is out of reach today, start at 6 to 10 percent and use automatic escalation: raise your rate 1 percent each year until you hit the target.
Here is my honest priority list for where each dollar goes. First, contribute enough to capture the entire employer match. Second, fund an IRA (Roth if you qualify) for better fund choices and lower fees. Third, come back and push the 401(k) toward the $24,500 max. Fourth, if you have a high-deductible health plan, fund an HSA, which is triple tax-advantaged. Only then does a taxable brokerage account enter the picture.
401(k) vs IRA: When Each Deserves Your Dollar
| Factor | 401(k) wins when | IRA wins when |
|---|---|---|
| Employer match | Your plan offers one, always first | No match available |
| Contribution room | You can save more than $7,500 a year | $7,500 covers your savings |
| Fees and funds | Your plan has low-cost index funds | Your plan charges high fees |
| Simplicity | You want payroll automation | You want total control |
Most people do not have to choose. The standard play is the 401(k) up to the match, then the IRA, then back to the 401(k). The two accounts complement each other, and using both diversifies your future tax treatment if you mix traditional and Roth.
Getting the Match Is the First Priority
If your plan offers a match and you are not contributing enough to get all of it, you are leaving an instant 50 to 100 percent return on the table, which no investment can beat. Contribute at least enough to capture the full match before funding anything else. After the match, compare maxing the 401(k) against an IRA or HSA based on fees and fund choices. And remember the vesting warning: if you might leave soon, check how much of the match you actually keep.
Keep Exploring
Compare tax treatments with the Roth vs traditional 401(k) calculator, weigh the IRA alternative with the IRA calculator, see the full retirement picture with the retirement savings calculator, and estimate your future tax rates with the income tax calculator.
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 2026 401(k) contribution limits?
For 2026 the IRS set the employee elective deferral limit at $24,500 (IRS Notice 2025-67). If you are 50 or older you can add an $8,000 catch-up for $32,500 total, and ages 60 to 63 get a larger $11,250 super catch-up for $35,750 total, if your plan allows it. Counting employer match and after-tax contributions, total additions to one account are capped at $72,000.
How does an employer match usually work?
A common formula is 50 percent of your contributions up to 6 percent of your salary: on a $120,000 salary, contributing 10 percent ($12,000) earns a $3,600 match, because the match only applies to the first 6 percent ($7,200). Some employers match dollar for dollar up to 3 or 4 percent. The match never reduces your own $24,500 limit; it sits inside the separate $72,000 total additions cap.
What does vesting mean for my employer match?
Vesting is the schedule on which your employer match becomes truly yours. Many plans vest over 2 to 6 years, and if you leave early you can forfeit the unvested part. Your own contributions are always 100 percent vested immediately. This calculator assumes you stay long enough to keep the full match, so check your plan vesting schedule for the honest number.
Should I choose traditional or Roth 401(k) contributions?
Traditional contributions cut your taxable income now and get taxed as ordinary income in retirement; Roth contributions are taxed now but grow and withdraw tax-free. A common rule of thumb: Roth favors younger workers and anyone expecting a higher bracket later, while traditional favors peak earners in high brackets now. This calculator projects pre-tax growth either way, so compare after-tax outcomes using your own marginal rates.
What is the 2026 Roth catch-up rule for high earners?
Starting in 2026, SECURE 2.0 requires catch-up contributions to be Roth (after-tax) for employees whose prior-year wages from that employer exceeded $145,000. The base $24,500 can still be pre-tax. If you earn above the threshold, your $8,000 or $11,250 catch-up goes in as Roth whether you like it or not.
What happens to the 60-63 super catch-up when I turn 64?
You drop back to the standard age-50 catch-up, which is $8,000 for 2026, so your personal max falls from $35,750 to $32,500. The super catch-up applies only during the calendar years you are 60, 61, 62, or 63. This calculator applies the right limit for each year of the projection based on your age.
Can I borrow from my 401(k)?
Many plans let you borrow up to 50 percent of your vested balance or $50,000, whichever is less, and you pay the interest back to yourself. But the borrowed money stops growing, and if you leave your job the loan often comes due quickly, with unpaid balances treated as taxable distributions plus a 10 percent penalty if you are under 59 1/2. Treat it as a last resort, not a feature.
What happens to my 401(k) when I leave my job?
You have four options: leave it in the old plan, roll it into your new employer's plan, roll it into an IRA, or cash it out. The IRA rollover is usually the best move for most people: more investment choices, often lower fees, and no tax bill if done as a direct rollover. Cashing out is the worst option, since you owe income tax plus a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty.
Can I contribute to a 401(k) and an IRA in the same year?
Yes, and many people do. The limits are completely separate: $24,500 to the 401(k) plus $7,500 to the IRA in 2026, assuming you qualify. The only catch is deductibility: if you are covered by a workplace plan, your traditional IRA deduction phases out above certain incomes, but Roth IRA contributions (within the income limits) are still fine.
What if I contribute more than the annual limit?
Excess deferrals happen, often from switching jobs mid-year. The fix is to contact your plan administrator and request a return of the excess plus earnings before April 15 of the following year. If you miss the deadline, the excess gets taxed twice: once in the year contributed and again when withdrawn. Keep an eye on the total if you changed employers.