🏦401(k) Calculator

About this tool

Enter your age, retirement age, salary, current balance, contribution percentage, your employer's match formula, expected raises, return and inflation. You'll see the projected balance in future and today's dollars, how much came from you, your employer and growth, and a table every five years. You'll also get a warning if you're leaving match money on the table.

Getting the most from a 401(k)

A 401(k) lets you invest part of each paycheck for retirement, usually before tax (traditional) or after tax with tax-free withdrawals later (Roth 401(k)). Many employers match contributions. A common formula is 50% of what you put in, up to 6% of salary, which is an immediate 50% return on that money, so contributing at least enough to get the full match is one of the best financial moves available. The IRS caps employee contributions at $24,500 in 2026, plus an $8,000 catch-up from age 50 and an enhanced $11,250 catch-up at ages 60 to 63. Employer contributions don't count towards your personal limit. For example, a 30-year-old earning $70,000 with $15,000 saved, contributing 6% with a 50% match up to 6%, 3% raises and 7% returns could reach about $1.44 million by 65. That's about $607,000 in today's money at 2.5% inflation, of which roughly $254,000 came from their own contributions. Raising your rate by 1% each year, especially with each pay rise, makes a large difference over decades. Honest limits: returns vary and can be negative for years. Fund fees, vesting schedules for the match, loans, and the taxes and 10% penalty on most withdrawals before 59½ aren't modelled. This isn't financial advice. The Roth IRA calculator, the paycheck calculator and the retirement calculator are related, and Compound interest, explained with real numbers explains how growth compounds.

Frequently asked questions