Free 401(k) Calculator
How it works
Enter your age, salary, how much you contribute and how much your employer matches — this calculator grows your 401(k) year by year, adding your contributions, the employer match and investment returns, and shows exactly where the final balance came from.
401(k) Calculator
Your contributions, your employer's match, and decades of compounding — projected.
1 Your timeline and balance
2 Contributions and growth
3 See your projection
🏦 Your 401(k) projection
How the math works
The projection runs one year at a time, exactly like a real account. Each year: your contribution (salary × your %) and the employer match (salary × match %, paid only in years you contribute) are added to the balance, the whole balance grows by the expected return, and then your salary rises by the growth rate before the next year:
New balance = (balance + your contribution + employer match) × (1 + return)
“Investment growth” in the result is whatever is left after subtracting your starting balance and all contributions — it is the part compounding earned for you. Note the employer match here is a simplified model: enter it as a straight % of salary (so a typical “50% match on the first 6% you contribute” is 3% of salary).
Everyday uses
- Match check: confirm you are contributing at least enough to capture the full employer match — leaving it unclaimed is leaving salary unpaid.
- Raise planning: test what bumping your contribution by 1–2% does over 20+ years before you change it at work.
- Job-change decisions: compare staying put versus a higher salary with a weaker match at a new employer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?
The IRS employee contribution limit is $23,500 for 2025, and it is typically adjusted for inflation each year — check irs.gov for the current 2026 figure. Catch-up contributions allow extra savings from age 50. This calculator does not cap your inputs, so keep your % under the limit for your salary.
Does this include taxes or fees?
No. Balances are pre-tax and before plan fees, and returns are assumed smooth. Traditional 401(k) withdrawals in retirement are taxed as income, so your spendable amount will be lower than the projected balance.
Why does the employer match stop if I contribute 0%?
Because that is how real plans work — the match is the employer’s incentive, paid only when you contribute. Even the minimum needed to unlock the full match is usually worth far more than the same money invested elsewhere.