401k Calculator

It calculates employee deferrals and employer matching for each full year, applies the 2026 IRS contribution limits, divides the annual total into twelve equal end-of-month deposits, and compounds the existing balance monthly at the return you enter.

The match percentage is the employer amount per employee dollar, and the match limit is the portion of salary eligible. A 100% match limit of 6% means one employer dollar for each employee dollar on the first 6% of eligible salary.

The ordinary employee elective-deferral limit is $24,500. Annual additions excluding catch-up contributions are limited to the lesser of 100% of compensation or $72,000, and compensation counted for contributions is capped at $360,000.

If the plan permits them, participants age 50 or older at calendar year end may defer an extra $8,000. The 2026 limit is higher—$11,250—for someone who reaches age 60, 61, 62 or 63 during the year.

No. Both contribution types grow inside the same projection, so the pre-retirement balance math is identical. Their current tax treatment and the tax treatment of eventual withdrawals differ, and neither tax effect is estimated here.

Real returns vary, contributions arrive on payroll dates rather than ideal monthly dates, fees differ by plan, and employer money may vest over time. This projection assumes a constant return, equal month-end deposits, an after-fee return, and a fully vested match.

Future limits have not been issued. Holding the known dollar caps fixed makes the assumption auditable and keeps a shared URL deterministic; guessing future inflation adjustments would create false precision. Revisit the projection when the IRS publishes new limits.