Enter your age, pay, what you put in and how your employer matches. The calculator applies the 2026 IRS limits every year and shows the balance at retirement, in future dollars and in today's dollars.
401(k) calculator
Enter your pay, contribution and match. We apply the 2026 IRS limits each year and show your balance at retirement.
Estimated balance at retirement
$0
Year-by-year table
| Age | Salary | You add | Employer adds | Balance at year end |
|---|
Uses the 2026 IRS limits: $24,500 for you, plus $8,000 catch-up from age 50 ($11,250 at ages 60 to 63), and $72,000 for you and your employer combined, not counting catch-up. Future limits are assumed to stay at 2026 levels, so later years are understated if the IRS raises them. Source: IRS IR-2025-111.
How the calculator works
- Your contribution is your percentage of pay, capped at the IRS limit: $24,500 for 2026, plus a $8,000 catch-up from age 50, or $11,250 at ages 60 to 63.
- Your employer's match is the match rate times your contribution, up to the share of pay the plan matches. A common formula is 50% of what you put in, up to 6% of pay.
- The combined limit for you and your employer together is $72,000 for 2026, not counting catch-up contributions.
- Growth uses the return you enter. Contributions are assumed to arrive through the year, so they earn about half a year of growth in the year they go in.
Future IRS limits are assumed to stay at 2026 levels. They usually rise with inflation, so a real plan may let you save more in later years.
Get the full match first
An employer match is part of your pay. If you contribute less than your plan matches, the calculator tells you how much match you are leaving behind. See the full 401(k) limits by year.
Traditional or Roth 401(k)?
Traditional contributions lower your income tax now and are taxed when you withdraw them. Roth contributions are taxed now and come out tax-free in retirement if you meet the rules. For 2026, if your wages were over $150,000, catch-up contributions must go in as Roth. To see how a contribution changes your take-home pay, use the paycheck calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I put in my 401(k) in 2026?
$24,500 if you are under 50. From 50 you can add a $8,000 catch-up, for $32,500. At ages 60 to 63 the catch-up is $11,250, for $35,750.
Does my employer match count toward the limit?
Not toward your own $24,500 limit. It does count toward the $72,000 combined limit for you and your employer.
What return should I use?
No one knows future returns. Try a few rates, for example 4%, 6% and 8%, to see a range rather than relying on one number.