Enter your salary, contribution rate, and years to retirement to project your 401(k) balance.
How 401(k) Accounts Work
For 2026 you can put up to $24,500 into a 401(k), or $32,500 at age 50 and over and $35,750 at ages 60 to 63. Employer contributions come on top, up to $72,000 in total before catch-up. The calculator above projects your balance at retirement with your match, yearly raises and the limit for your age, and shows the monthly income it could support.
A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan with significant tax advantages. Traditional 401(k): contributions reduce taxable income now, withdrawals in retirement are taxed. Roth 401(k): contributions made after-tax, qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. Both are powerful tools: the right choice depends on whether you expect to be in a higher or lower tax bracket in retirement.
The employer match is free money. If your employer matches 50% of contributions up to 6% of salary and you earn $85,000, contributing 6% ($5,100) earns you an extra $2,550 annually: a guaranteed 50% return on that portion. Always contribute at least enough to capture the full match.
2026 Contribution Limits
The Power of Compound Growth
Traditional vs Roth 401(k)
Required Minimum Distributions
2026 401(k) Limits by Age
| Your age in 2026 | Your deferral limit | Maximum with employer money |
|---|---|---|
| Under 50 | $24,500 | $72,000 |
| 50 to 59, or 64 and over | $32,500 | $80,000 |
| 60 to 63 | $35,750 | $83,250 |
Your age for the year is the age you reach by 31 December. The deferral limit covers pre-tax and Roth 401(k) contributions together, across every 401(k) and 403(b) you have. The total also cannot exceed 100% of your pay. If your FICA wages from your employer were over $150,000 in 2025, your 2026 catch-up contributions must go in as Roth.
What Your Employer Match Is Worth
A "50% up to 6%" match adds 3% of your pay when you contribute at least 6%. A "100% up to 4%" match adds 4% when you contribute at least 4%. The last column shows the 50% match alone after 30 years at 7%, with no raises.
| Salary | 50% up to 6%, per year | 100% up to 4%, per year | 50% up to 6% after 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $151,610 |
| $75,000 | $2,250 | $3,000 | $227,414 |
| $100,000 | $3,000 | $4,000 | $303,219 |
| $150,000 | $4,500 | $6,000 | $454,829 |
Check your vesting schedule too. Your own contributions are always yours, but unvested match money is lost if you leave early.
Balance at 65 by Contribution Rate
Starting at age 35 with $0, a $75,000 salary rising 2% a year, a 50% match up to 6% and a 7% yearly return. Figures are in future (nominal) dollars.
| You contribute | Your total deposits | Employer match | Balance at 65 | 4% withdrawal per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | $91,278 | $45,639 | $418,970 | $1,397 |
| 6% | $182,556 | $91,278 | $837,939 | $2,793 |
| 10% | $304,261 | $91,278 | $1,210,356 | $4,035 |
| 15% | $456,391 | $91,278 | $1,675,878 | $5,586 |
Going from 3% to 6% doubles the result because it doubles both your deposits and the match. Above 6% the match stops growing, but every extra percent still compounds. To see the whole picture with Social Security, use the retirement calculator.