United States · IRS retirement rules
401(k) calculator with match.
Project your balance at retirement from your salary, contribution rate, employer match and expected return, using the 2026 IRS deferral limits.
The 2026 IRS limit on your own 401(k) deferrals is $24,500, plus $8,000 catch-up from age 50 or $11,250 at ages 60 to 63. Employer match does not count against it. This calculator stops your contributions at that limit.
Your numbers
Projected balance
What this calculator does
It projects a 401(k) balance month by month. Each year your salary grows by the raise you enter, your deferral is the percentage you choose (capped at the IRS limit for that year and age), and your employer adds the match, which is the match rate applied to your contribution up to the pay cap. Returns compound monthly at the annual rate you enter. The answer is in nominal dollars, so a balance 30 years out is worth less in today's purchasing power than the headline number.
How the match is applied
A typical plan says "50% of the first 6% of pay." With a $90,000 salary and an 8% deferral you put in $7,200; the match applies to the first 6% ($5,400), so the employer adds $2,700. Deferring 3% instead gets only $1,350 of match. The calculator flags when you contribute below the match cap, because the unused match is the one part of a 401(k) that is effectively free money. Some plans match per paycheck and some true up at year end; if yours is per paycheck, front-loading deferrals early in the year can reduce your match.
Worked example
A 35-year-old earning $90,000 with $25,000 saved, deferring 8%, a 50% match up to 6%, 3% raises and a 7% return reaches about $1,521,747 at 65. Of that, $342,543 is the employee's own contributions, $128,454 is employer match and $1,025,750 is investment growth. Dropping the deferral to 3% with everything else unchanged gives about $734,987, a gap of $786,760. Change the return to 5% or 9% to see how sensitive the result is; the return assumption moves the answer more than any other input.
2026 limits the calculator uses
| Item | 2026 amount |
|---|---|
| Employee deferral limit (401(k), 403(b), TSP) | $24,500 |
| Catch-up, age 50 and over | $8,000 |
| Catch-up, ages 60 to 63 | $11,250 |
| Total employee plus employer additions (excluding catch-up) | $72,000 or 100% of pay |
The limits are held at their 2026 values for every future year. The IRS indexes them upward over time, so a long projection with a high contribution rate will understate what you will actually be allowed to defer.
What this tool does not cover
- Investment fees. Subtract your fund expense ratio from the return you enter.
- Vesting. If your employer match vests over several years, leaving early forfeits part of it.
- Taxes on withdrawal. Traditional 401(k) money is taxed as ordinary income when withdrawn; see the Roth comparison below.
- Inflation, Social Security and other income. Use a nominal return minus about 2% to 3% for a rough real-dollar view.
- The $360,000 compensation limit and the 100%-of-pay cap on total additions.
Common mix-ups
Confusing the $24,500 deferral limit with the $72,000 total-additions limit; counting the match against your own limit; assuming the projection is in today's dollars when it is nominal; and treating a vesting schedule as if the full match were yours on day one.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I contribute to a 401(k) in 2026?
The employee deferral limit is $24,500. People 50 and older can add $8,000, and people aged 60 through 63 can add $11,250 instead, if the plan allows catch-up contributions. Employer match is on top of these limits.
Does the employer match count toward the $24,500 limit?
No. The $24,500 limit applies only to your own salary deferrals. The match counts toward a separate overall limit on annual additions, which is the lesser of 100% of compensation or $72,000 for 2026, not counting catch-ups.
What return should I assume?
There is no right number. Many planners use 5% to 7% nominal for a diversified stock-and-bond mix. Run several values; the spread between them is more informative than any single projection.
Why does the result differ from my plan provider's projection?
Providers differ on return, inflation, salary growth, contribution timing and whether they show future or today's dollars. This tool shows nominal future dollars with monthly compounding and annual raises.
Is the match really free money?
Yes, up to the match cap, subject to your plan's vesting schedule. Contributing less than the cap leaves part of your pay package unclaimed.
Sources
- IRS Notice 2025-67, 2026 cost-of-living adjustments for retirement plan limitations — $24,500 deferral limit, $8,000 and $11,250 catch-ups, $72,000 annual additions limit (retrieved 2026-11)
- IRS news release, 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026 — 2026 limits summary (retrieved 2026-11)
- IRS, 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits — how deferral, match and catch-up limits interact (retrieved 2026-11)
Last updated November 8, 2026. Tax-law figures are for tax year 2026.
Estimate only
This is an educational calculation, not tax, legal or investment advice. Your plan, lender, employer or tax professional has the final numbers.