Retirement Planning · Before Retirement

401(k) Calculator

Project your 401(k) balance at retirement from your salary, the percentage you contribute, your employer's match and your current balance. The 2026 IRS limits — including the age-50 and age-60–63 catch-ups — are applied each year, and the result is shown in future and today's dollars, with the monthly income it could pay.

Also listed inFinance & Investment Salary & Tax

Your inputs

Quick start — try a typical case

Your Age

years

Retirement Age

years

Withdrawals without the 10 % penalty start at 59½ (55 if you leave the job in the year you turn 55).

Annual Salary

$ 85 thousand

You Contribute

% of salary

Capped at the IRS limit — $24,500 in 2026, more with catch-ups from age 50.

Current 401(k) Balance

$ 25 thousand

Employer Match

% of your contribution

A common match is 50 % or 100 % of what you put in, up to a limit.

Match Up To

% of salary

“50 % up to 6 %” means the employer adds half of what you contribute, on the first 6 % of your pay.

Expected Return

% a year

Before fees. A long-run stock-heavy mix has historically returned around 6–8 % a year before inflation; nothing is guaranteed.

Yearly Raise

Your result Live

401(k) at Age 65

$2,405,662

$1,013,677 in today's dollars · about $3,379 a month at a 4 % withdrawal rate

Your Contributions: $513,928
Employer Contributions: $154,178
Investment Growth: $1,712,556
Going In This Year: $11,050 (you $8,500 + employer $2,550)
Employer Match: Getting all of it — $2,550 a year
Cost of Fees by Retirement: $227,509

Current balance · 1%$25,000
Your contributions · 21%$513,928
Employer contributions · 6%$154,178
Growth · 71%$1,712,556

401(k) balance by age

Year by year

35 rows

Age	Salary	You	Employer	Growth	Balance at year end
30	$85,000	$8,500	$2,550	$2,041	$38,091
31	$87,550	$8,755	$2,627	$2,942	$52,415
32	$90,177	$9,018	$2,705	$3,927	$68,065
33	$92,882	$9,288	$2,786	$5,003	$85,142
34	$95,668	$9,567	$2,870	$6,176	$103,755
35	$98,538	$9,854	$2,956	$7,454	$124,019
36	$101,494	$10,149	$3,045	$8,844	$146,057
37	$104,539	$10,454	$3,136	$10,355	$170,002
38	$107,675	$10,768	$3,230	$11,997	$195,997
39	$110,906	$11,091	$3,327	$13,779	$224,194
40	$114,233	$11,423	$3,427	$15,710	$254,754
41	$117,660	$11,766	$3,530	$17,803	$287,853

Limits used: $24,500 employee deferral (Tax year 2026 ($23,500 in 2025)), +$8,000 from age 50, +$11,250 instead at ages 60–63, $72,000 total with your employer — grown with inflation in later years.

Traditional (pre-tax) contributions are taxed when withdrawn; Roth contributions are taxed now and withdrawn tax-free. The balance is the same either way — what you keep after tax differs.

Employer contributions may vest over several years: leave before then and you can lose the unvested part.

An estimate from the assumptions you entered, not a guaranteed outcome.

How this is calculated

Each year: You = min(c × Salary, IRS limit for your age); Employer = m × min(You, k × Salary) + p × Salary; monthly: Balance = Balance × (1 + (r − f) ÷ 12) + (You + Employer) ÷ 12

c: Your contribution rate (% of salary)
m, k: Employer match: m % of your contribution, on contributions up to k % of salary
p: Employer profit-sharing (% of salary)
r, f: Expected yearly return and yearly fees
IRS limit: $24,500 (under 50), $32,500 (50+), $35,750 (60–63) in 2026

A 401(k) grows from three sources: what you contribute from each paycheck, what your employer adds, and investment growth on both. The employer match is usually the best return you'll ever get — if your employer matches 50 % up to 6 %, contributing 6 % of your pay turns into 9 %. The IRS caps what you can put in each year, with higher catch-up limits from age 50 and a larger one at 60–63. Fees come straight off your return, and over decades even half a percent adds up to tens of thousands of dollars.

Assumptions & sources

IRS limits: $24,500 employee deferral (Tax year 2026 ($23,500 in 2025), checked 2026-10-18); catch-ups and the §415(c) limit from IRS Notice 2025-67; all grown with inflation after 2026.
Contributions go in monthly; the return is steady, after the fees you enter; no loans, hardship withdrawals or early withdrawals.
Raises happen once a year; your contribution rate and your employer's match stay the same; employer contributions are fully vested.
Today's dollars divide by inflation compounded over the years to retirement.

1Notice 2025-67 — 2026 amounts for retirement plan limitations — Internal Revenue Service (2025-11-13)
2Retirement topics — 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits — Internal Revenue Service

Calculator ID RET-US-401K-001 · version 1.0.0

Common questions

What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?

$24,500 for employees, plus a $8,000 catch-up from age 50 ($32,500 in total), or $11,250 if you are 60–63 ($35,750). Employee and employer contributions together are capped at $72,000, plus catch-ups.

How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?

At least enough to get your employer's full match — it's an instant return of 50–100 % on that money. Many planners suggest saving 10–15 % of pay in total (including the match) for retirement.

Traditional or Roth 401(k)?

Traditional lowers your taxable income now and is taxed when you withdraw; Roth is taxed now and withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. If you expect a higher tax rate in retirement than today, Roth tends to win; if lower, traditional.

What happens to my 401(k) if I change jobs?

It stays yours. You can leave it in the old plan (if allowed), roll it into your new employer's plan or an IRA, or cash it out — which usually means income tax plus a 10 % penalty before 59½.

When can I take money out without a penalty?

From age 59½, or from 55 if you leave that employer in or after the year you turn 55. Required minimum distributions start at 73 (75 for those born in 1960 or later).