401k Calculator
Project your US 401k balance, employer match, IRS 2026 limits, and a 4% withdrawal guide using salary, contribution rate, and USD inputs.
401k Calculator
Enter salary, contribution rate, employer match, and expected return to see a projected 401k balance and a 4% withdrawal guide on one screen. Enter all amounts in USD.
- Employee base deferral limit: $24,500
- Age 50+ catch-up: $8,000
- Age 60โ63 special catch-up: $11,250
- Employee + employer combined base limit: $72,000
- The large number at the top is the projected 401k balance at retirement.
- Today’s dollars restate the future balance in current purchasing power after inflation.
- The 4% guide is only a planning reference for the first year of withdrawals. It does not guarantee tax or market outcomes.
- Employer match can vary with plan terms, vesting, and whether the plan includes a true-up.
Check your inputs and calculate again.
Enter salary, contribution rate, employer match, and expected return to project your retirement balance and a withdrawal guide.
| Age | Salary | Employee contribution | Employer match | Investment growth | End-of-year balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading the default example. | |||||
What is a 401k calculator?
A 401k calculator helps you estimate how much you could build by retirement based on salary, employee deferrals, employer match, and long-term return assumptions. By entering your current balance, pay, contribution rate, employer match terms, and retirement age, you can quickly see how compounding may shape your retirement savings.
This version uses the 2026 IRS 401k limits, including catch-up rules, and separates employee contributions, employer match, and investment growth. It also shows a 4% withdrawal guide, a balance in today’s dollars, and a year-by-year schedule so the final number is easier to interpret. All input and output amounts are shown in USD.
When this tool is useful
Small changes to your 401k contribution rate can create a meaningful difference over decades. That matters even more when employer match is involved, because the same salary can lead to very different savings paths depending on how much match you capture. This calculator is designed for people who want to see employee deferrals, employer match, and portfolio growth together rather than as separate estimates.
- When you are setting your first 401k contribution rate at a new job
- When you want to check whether you are capturing the full employer match
- When you want to see how catch-up contributions after age 50 may affect retirement savings
- When you want a rough retirement balance based on your current savings and salary growth
- When you want to compare several scenarios before meeting a financial planner
Key features
This calculator is organized around the questions 401k savers ask most often: how much could I have by retirement, am I pressing against this year’s limit, how much employer match is really being added, and what might a first-year withdrawal guide look like? Charts, tables, and Excel export are included so you can reuse the numbers after the first estimate.
- 2026 IRS limit support – Uses base deferral, catch-up, and combined contribution rules as reference points
- Employer match modeling – Estimates the match based on rate and pay-cap settings
- Compounding trend chart – Visualizes how the balance may grow over time
- Final balance breakdown – Separates starting balance, employee contributions, employer match, and growth
- 4% withdrawal guide – Shows annual and monthly planning references for the first retirement year
- Year-by-year schedule and Excel export – Summarizes salary, contributions, growth, and end-of-year balance by age
How to use it
The flow is simple: enter your current age, target retirement age, current 401k balance, salary, contribution rate, and employer match terms, then adjust assumptions such as salary growth and expected return. Use USD amounts so the IRS limit checks remain meaningful. After calculating, start with the top result card, then read the current-year limit summary and the year-by-year table.
- Enter the basics – Add your current age, target retirement age, and current 401k balance.
- Set pay and contribution rules – Enter salary, employee contribution rate, employer match rate, and the match cap.
- Adjust assumptions – Check salary growth, expected return, inflation, and IRS limit growth.
- Run the calculation – Update the projected retirement balance, today’s dollars, 4% guide, current-year limit summary, charts, and tables at once.
- Compare scenarios – Change the contribution rate or match terms to see which assumptions move the result the most.
What matters in a 401k projection
For 2026, the IRS set the employee base deferral limit for traditional and safe-harbor 401k plans at $24,500. Workers who are 50 or older by year-end can add a regular $8,000 catch-up contribution, while SECURE 2.0 allows a higher $11,250 catch-up for ages 60 through 63. The combined employee and employer base limit is $72,000, with catch-up contributions treated separately from that combined cap.
A realistic 401k projection combines three moving pieces: employee contributions, employer match, and investment return on the full balance. Even when return assumptions stay the same, the path changes depending on how much match you capture. This calculator also assumes salary and IRS limits rise over time, so annual contributions are recalculated year by year instead of staying flat forever.
Real plans can still differ because of vesting schedules, true-up rules, after-tax contributions, Roth 401k elections, loans, early withdrawals, fees, and fund changes. Treat the output here as a planning reference, then confirm the exact details against your employer plan documents, payroll records, and plan administrator guidance. If you also want to model a major household payment alongside retirement saving, the Mortgage Calculator is the next useful step. If you need a broader discounted cash-flow view outside a retirement plan framework, the Cash Flow IRR/NPV Calculator gives you a more general return and present-value comparison. For the official rules behind the limit checks, see the IRS 401k contribution limits page and the 2026 limit announcement.
| Item | 2026 rule | How this calculator applies it |
|---|---|---|
| Employee base deferral limit | $24,500 | If salary ร contribution rate exceeds this amount, the model caps employee deferrals at the base limit first. |
| Age 50+ catch-up | $8,000 | Applied as the extra catch-up limit for ages 50โ59 and 64+. |
| Ages 60โ63 special catch-up | $11,250 | Uses the higher catch-up limit during that age band. |
| Employee + employer combined base limit | Lower of $72,000 or 100% of compensation | Employer match is trimmed if combined additions would exceed the applicable cap. |
Frequently asked questions
Can I enter non-USD amounts?
It is not recommended. This calculator is built around US 401k rules and IRS limits defined in USD, so all monetary inputs should stay in USD. If you enter another currency, the math may still run, but the limit comparison and withdrawal guide will no longer line up with the intended rules.
Does this calculator include taxes?
No. This tool focuses on contributions, growth, employer match, and a 4% withdrawal planning guide. It does not model the tax differences between traditional and Roth 401k accounts, retirement tax brackets, RMD rules, or state-specific taxes.
Why does employer match vary by plan?
Employer match is not fixed by law. It depends on your company’s plan document. One plan may match 100% of the first 3% of pay, while another may match 50% of the first 6%, so you should enter the terms that match your actual plan.
Are catch-up contributions after age 50 calculated automatically?
Yes. The model increases age year by year and automatically applies the regular catch-up limit after age 50 plus the higher special catch-up for ages 60 through 63. If your chosen contribution rate does not reach the full allowed limit, the model only contributes up to the amount implied by your settings.
What is the difference between today’s dollars and the retirement balance?
The retirement balance is the projected future-dollar amount. Today’s dollars discount that future amount by your inflation assumption so you can compare it to current purchasing power. Looking at both numbers usually gives a more realistic planning picture than focusing on the future balance alone.
Is the 4% withdrawal guide safe to rely on?
The 4% rule is a widely used planning reference for a first-year retirement withdrawal, but real sustainability depends on market returns, inflation, retirement timing, lifespan, and taxes. It is better used as a conservative starting point than as a guaranteed answer.
What should I do if I change jobs or my pay changes a lot?
This calculator is a long-range model that assumes a steady salary growth path. If you switch jobs, take unpaid leave, receive unusually large bonuses, move to a different plan, or face a major match change, the safest approach is to rerun the numbers with a fresh scenario.
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