401(k) Calculator

Project what your 401(k) will be worth when you retire, including your employer match, the 2026 IRS limits, fees, and inflation. The default is age 35 with $25,000 saved, a $75,000 salary, and a 10% contribution: $1,400,662.80 at age 65.

What Is a 401(k) Calculator?

A 401(k) calculator projects what your retirement account will be worth when you stop working. Enter your age, your current balance, your salary, how much you contribute, what your employer matches, and the return you expect, and the free 401(k) calculator above shows your balance at retirement, how much of it is your own contributions, how much is your employer’s match, and how much is investment growth — plus the monthly income the 4% rule says that balance can support.

On the default example — age 35, a $25,000 balance, a $75,000 salary, a 10% contribution, an employer match of 50% on the first 6% of pay, a 7% return, 2% salary growth, and retirement at 65 — the balance at 65 is $1,400,662.80. Your own contributions add up to $395,538.77 over 30 years, and investment growth adds $980,124.02. Growth does more than twice the work of your contributions. That is the whole point of starting early, and this page shows the maths behind it.

What makes this calculator different from a compound interest calculator

The compound interest calculator grows one deposit at one rate. A 401(k) is messier: your salary rises each year, so your contributions rise with it; your employer adds a match; the IRS caps what you can put in; and fees and inflation quietly take their share. This calculator models all of that, year by year, from your current age to your retirement age.

How to Use the 401(k) Calculator

Most of these numbers are on your last pay stub or in your plan documents. The two you will have to guess are the return and your salary growth — and the defaults, 7% and 2%, are reasonable starting points.

1. Enter your current age and your retirement age. The default is 35 to 65, which is 30 years of growth.
2. Enter your current balance. The default is $25,000. If you are just starting out, enter 0.
3. Enter your current salary. The default is $75,000 a year. It grows at the salary growth rate you set.
4. Enter your contribution as a percentage of salary. The default is 10%. The calculator caps it at the IRS limit for your age and tells you when the cap applies.
5. Enter your employer match. The default is 50% of your contribution on the first 6% of your salary — the most common match in the US.
6. Enter your expected return, salary growth, fees, and inflation. The defaults are 7% return, 2% salary growth, 0% fees, and 3% inflation.

The result updates as you type. The big number is your balance at retirement; the lines below it split that balance into your contributions, your employer’s match, and investment growth, and the table shows your balance at ages 45 and 55 along the way.

Your Default Projection: Age 35 to 65

Here is the full maths for the default, so you can check the calculator. You are 35 with $25,000 saved, earning $75,000, contributing 10% of your salary, and your employer matches 50% of your contribution on the first 6% of your pay. Your salary grows 2% a year, the account earns 7% a year, and you retire at 65.

In year 1, your 10% contribution is $7,500 and your employer’s match is $2,250, so $9,750 goes in. Add that to the $25,000 you already have and grow it by 7%, and the balance after year 1 is $37,182.50. Over 30 years, your contributions total $395,538.77 — your own money plus the match — and investment growth adds $980,124.02. The 4% rule says that balance supports $4,668.88 a month in retirement income. In today’s dollars, the balance is worth $577,054.53, which is $1,923.52 a month — the inflation adjustment matters, and it is why the calculator shows both figures.

How the Employer Match Works

The employer match is free money, and it is the single best return available anywhere. A common formula is “50% of the first 6%”: if you contribute 6% of your salary, your employer adds 3%, so 9% of your salary goes into your account. If you contribute less than 6%, you leave part of the match on the table.

Three details matter. First, the match is usually subject to a vesting schedule — you may need to stay with the employer for a few years before the matched money is fully yours. Your own contributions are always 100% yours. Second, some plans use safe-harbor matching, which vests immediately. Third, the match counts toward the combined employee-plus-employer limit of $72,000 a year in 2026, though most people never come close to that limit. The rule of thumb is simple: always contribute at least enough to get the full match, whatever the formula is. Turning down a 50% or 100% instant return to keep a few dollars of take-home pay is the most expensive mistake in personal finance.

What if your employer offers no match?

A 401(k) is still worth using: the money grows tax-deferred, the contribution cuts your taxable income, and the 2026 limit of $24,500 is far higher than an IRA’s $7,500. But without a match, the order of operations changes — many advisors suggest contributing enough for the match first, then paying off high-interest debt, then maxing an IRA, then returning to the 401(k).

2026 401(k) Contribution Limits

The IRS sets the limits each year in Notice 2025-67. The calculator applies the employee limit automatically, based on your age in each projection year.

The catch-up rules are worth knowing as you get older. At 50 you can add $8,000 a year on top of the $24,500, taking your limit to $32,500. At 60 to 63 the SECURE 2.0 Act adds a “super catch-up” of $11,250, taking the limit to $35,750 — the highest it has ever been. And from 2026, catch-up contributions for high earners must go into a Roth account, which means they are taxed now and grow tax-free, rather than being tax-deferred.

Traditional vs Roth 401(k): Which One Should You Choose?

Most employers offer both. A traditional 401(k) contribution comes out before tax, so it cuts this year’s tax bill, and the money is taxed when you withdraw it in retirement. A Roth 401(k) contribution comes out after tax, so there is no tax saving now, but the money grows tax-free and comes out tax-free in retirement.

The rule of thumb: if you are early in your career and in a low tax bracket, Roth usually wins, because you pay a low rate now and never pay tax on decades of growth. If you are at peak earnings in a high bracket, traditional usually wins, because the deduction is worth more now than the tax will cost later. The employer match always goes into a traditional pre-tax account, whichever type you choose. This calculator models the balance growth the same way for both, because the tax difference shows up at withdrawal time, not in the account balance. To see which bracket you are in, use the federal tax calculator.

• Early career, low bracket: Roth usually wins — pay a low rate now, never pay tax on the growth.
• Peak earnings, high bracket: traditional usually wins — the deduction is worth more now than the tax will cost later.
• Not sure: split the difference. Many savers put half in each and hedge the future.
• Employer match: always traditional, whichever type you choose.

The 4% Rule: How Much Monthly Income Will You Have?

The 4% rule, from the Trinity Study, says you can withdraw 4% of your retirement balance in the first year, then adjust that amount for inflation each year, and the money should last about 30 years. It is a rule of thumb, not a guarantee, but it turns a big balance into a monthly income you can picture.

Two warnings. First, the 4% rule assumes a mix of stocks and bonds and a 30-year retirement; retiring earlier or living longer calls for a lower rate. Second, the monthly figure is before tax if the money is in a traditional 401(k) — the withdrawals are taxed as income. Social Security and any pension sit on top of this income, and the calculator does not include them. Add your expected Social Security benefit to the 4% income to see your total retirement income, and compare the result with the paycheck calculator to see how it stacks up against your working pay.

• 4% is a starting point, not a promise — market crashes early in retirement can force a lower withdrawal rate.
• Social Security sits on top: add your expected benefit to the 4% income for your total retirement income.
• Traditional withdrawals are taxed: the monthly figure above is before income tax if the money is pre-tax.
• Roth withdrawals are tax-free: qualified Roth distributions do not count as income at all.

Why Starting Early Matters More Than Saving More

Compound growth rewards time more than it rewards size. The table below holds everything constant — $25,000 starting balance, $75,000 salary, 10% contribution, 50% match on the first 6%, 7% return, 2% salary growth — and changes only the contribution rate. Raising your contribution from 5% to 15% nearly doubles the final balance, from $888,588.93 to $1,866,184.50, but that costs you three times as much of your own money. Starting ten years earlier does the same work for free.

The same logic explains why the balance at 45 is only $205,281.73 while the balance at 65 is $1,400,662.80. The first ten years feel slow, because the balance is small and the growth is small. The last ten years do most of the work: from 55 to 65 the balance grows by more than $800,000, mostly from investment growth on money that was already there. The compound interest calculator shows the same curve with a single lump sum.

Fees: The Quiet Thief

Fees look small — 0.5% or 1% a year — but they compound against you for decades. The table below runs the default projection with three fee levels. Everything else is identical.

A 1% fee costs $241,111.54 over 30 years — more than nine times the starting balance. That is why low-cost index funds matter inside a 401(k). Check your plan’s expense ratios: a broad-market index fund often charges 0.03% to 0.10% a year, while an actively managed fund can charge 1% or more. The difference, compounded over a career, is a house.

• Find your expense ratios: they are listed in your plan’s fund lineup or on your quarterly statement, as a percentage like 0.04% or 0.85%.
• Prefer broad-market index funds: a total US stock market or S&P 500 index fund usually costs 0.03% to 0.10% a year.
• Watch target-date funds: they are convenient, but some charge 0.5% or more — check whether a cheaper index version exists in your plan.
• Ask HR about plan fees: some plans add an administrative fee on top of the fund fees, which also comes out of your balance.

How Much Should You Save for Retirement?

The most quoted targets come from Fidelity, and they are based on your salary at each age. They assume you save 15% of your pay (including the employer match) starting at 25, invest more than half in stocks, and retire at 67.

Do not panic if you are behind — most people are. The default projection ends at $1,400,662.80, which is about 18.7 times a $75,000 salary, well above the 10× target, because the salary grows 2% a year while the balance compounds at 7%. The targets are a guide, not a verdict. What matters is the direction: raise your contribution by 1% a year, or every time you get a raise, and the gap closes on its own.

• 15% rule: save 15% of your pay, including the employer match, for retirement. The default example saves 10% plus a 3% match, or 13% — close, but a little short.
• 1% a year: raise your contribution by 1 percentage point each year until you reach 15% or more. You will barely notice it, because raises absorb it.
• Pay yourself first: set the contribution once and let it run automatically. Willpower is a bad savings plan; automation is a good one.

401(k) Loans, Hardship Withdrawals, and Early Withdrawals

Your 401(k) is not a savings account, and taking money out early is expensive. Three routes exist, and they are very different.

• 401(k) loan: most plans let you borrow up to 50% of your vested balance or $50,000, whichever is less, and repay it with interest to yourself over up to five years. The risk is leaving your job: the loan usually becomes due within 60 to 90 days, and any unpaid balance is treated as a distribution.
• Hardship withdrawal: allowed for an immediate and heavy financial need, such as medical expenses or preventing eviction. It is taxed as income, plus a 10% penalty if you are under 59½, and you cannot repay it.
• Early withdrawal: taking money out before 59½ costs income tax plus a 10% penalty, with narrow exceptions for disability, separation from service at 55 or older, and a few others.

A $10,000 early withdrawal at a 22% tax rate costs $2,200 in tax plus a $1,000 penalty, so you keep $6,800 — and you lose decades of growth on the full $10,000. Borrowing or withdrawing should be the last resort, not the first.

Two Worked Examples

These examples use the calculator above, so you can check every number by entering the same inputs.

Example 1 — the default. Age 35, balance $25,000, salary $75,000, contribution 10%, match 50% of the first 6%, return 7%, salary growth 2%, fees 0%, inflation 3%, retire at 65. Year-1 contribution is $7,500 from you plus $2,250 from your employer, $9,750 in total. Balance at 45 is $205,281.73, at 55 is $594,108.85, and at 65 is $1,400,662.80. Total contributions are $395,538.77, investment growth is $980,124.02, the 4% rule gives $4,668.88 a month, and in today’s dollars the balance is $577,054.53, or $1,923.52 a month.

Example 2 — starting at 45. Age 45, balance $80,000, salary $90,000, contribution 12%, match 100% of the first 3%, return 7%, salary growth 2%, fees 0%, inflation 3%, retire at 65. Year-1 contribution is $10,800 from you plus $2,700 from your employer, $13,500 in total. Over 20 years, total contributions are $328,014.49 and investment growth is $590,221.90, for a balance at 65 of $998,236.40. The 4% rule gives $3,327.45 a month, and in today’s dollars the balance is $552,699.29, or $1,842.33 a month. Starting ten years later with a bigger salary and a bigger contribution still ends up about $400,000 behind the default — that is the cost of the lost decade.

Rollover Options When You Change Jobs

Most Americans change jobs several times in a career, and each move leaves a 401(k) behind. What you do with the old account matters: cashing it out is the worst option, because the money is taxed as income plus a 10% penalty if you are under 59½, and the growth stops. The better options keep the money invested and tax-deferred.

• Do a direct rollover: the money moves straight from plan to plan, so no tax is withheld and there is no 60-day deadline to worry about.
• Avoid an indirect rollover: if the check comes to you, 20% is withheld for tax and you have 60 days to deposit the full amount, including the withheld part, or the shortfall is taxed and penalised.
• Check the vesting first: unvested employer match money is forfeited when you leave, so the rollover only moves your contributions and the vested match.
• Consolidate when you can: one account is easier to manage, cheaper to track, and simpler for your beneficiaries than four old accounts scattered across old employers.

What This Calculator Assumes — and What It Leaves Out

Every projection is a model, and this one makes the assumptions below. Knowing them tells you how far to trust the result.

• Constant return: the calculator grows the balance at the same rate every year. Real markets swing; a 7% average hides years of minus 20% and plus 30%.
• Contributions at the start of each year: the year’s contribution is added before that year’s growth is applied. End-of-year contributions would give a slightly lower balance.
• Salary growth applies from year 2: the first year’s contribution uses the salary you entered; later years use the grown salary.
• The match is capped by the combined limit: employee plus employer contributions are capped at $72,000 a year, or $80,000 at 50 or older and $83,250 at 60 to 63.
• No taxes on growth: the balance shown is pre-tax for a traditional 401(k). Withdrawals in retirement are taxed as income.
• No Social Security or pension: the 4% income is from the 401(k) alone. Add Social Security separately.
• No loans or withdrawals: the projection assumes you never take money out early.
• Fees are subtracted from the return: a 1% fee turns a 7% return into 6%, which is close to how expense ratios actually work.

401(k) Calculator vs Compound Interest Calculator

The compound interest calculator is the right tool for a single deposit growing at one rate. This 401(k) calculator is the right tool for a working life: a rising salary, a growing contribution, an employer match, IRS limits, fees, and inflation. Use the compound interest calculator to understand the curve, then use this one to plan your retirement. For the tax side, the paycheck calculator shows how a 401(k) contribution changes your take-home pay, and the salary calculator converts your pay between hourly, weekly, monthly and annual figures. The IRS confirms the 2026 limits in IR-2025-111, and NerdWallet’s 401(k) calculator is another independent check on the same projection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much will my 401(k) be worth at 65?

It depends on your age, balance, salary, contribution, match, and return. On the default — age 35, $25,000 saved, $75,000 salary, 10% contribution, 50% match on the first 6%, 7% return — the balance at 65 is $1,400,662.80. Enter your own numbers above for your projection.

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

At least enough to get the full employer match — that is free money. After that, the common target is 15% of your pay including the match. The default example contributes 10% plus a 3% match, or 13% in total.

What is the 401(k) limit for 2026?

The employee limit is $24,500 if you are under 50, $32,500 at 50 or older, and $35,750 at ages 60 to 63. The combined employee-plus-employer limit is $72,000, or $80,000 at 50 or older and $83,250 at 60 to 63.

Is a Roth 401(k) better than a traditional 401(k)?

It depends on your tax rate now versus in retirement. Roth usually wins early in your career, when your bracket is low; traditional usually wins at peak earnings, when your bracket is high. The employer match always goes into a traditional pre-tax account either way.

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

You can leave it with your old employer, roll it into your new employer’s plan, roll it into an IRA, or cash it out — but cashing out before 59½ costs income tax plus a 10% penalty. A rollover to an IRA or a new plan is usually the best move.

Can I lose money in a 401(k)?

Yes — a 401(k) is invested in the market, so the balance falls when the market falls. The 7% return in the default is a long-term average, not a promise. Diversifying across low-cost index funds and staying invested through downturns is the standard approach.

What is the 4% rule?

The 4% rule says you can withdraw 4% of your balance in the first year of retirement and adjust for inflation each year, and the money should last about 30 years. On the default balance of $1,400,662.80, that is $4,668.88 a month.

Disclaimer: This calculator gives a projection for general information only and is not financial or tax advice. Returns are not guaranteed, and your actual balance will differ. Contribution limits and tax rules change; confirm the current figures with the IRS or a financial advisor before making decisions.