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401k Calculator: Retirement Balance, Match & Income
Last updated: · Limits: IRS Notice 2025-67 (tax year 2026)
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Your 401k at retirement
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This 401k calculator shows how big your retirement account could be at the age you plan to stop working. Enter your age, salary, balance, contribution and employer match, and it projects your 401k balance, the part that comes from you, your employer and investment growth, and the yearly income it could support. It works as a 401k retirement calculator, a 401k employer match calculator and a retirement savings calculator in one place.
Whether you just started your first job or you are catching up at 50, this 401k calculator turns a vague goal into a number you can plan around.
How this 401k calculator works
The tool projects your account month by month. Each year it takes your salary, applies your contribution percentage, caps it at the IRS limit, adds the employer match, and compounds the balance at your expected return. At the end of each year your salary rises by the raise you choose. Everything runs in your browser, so your numbers stay private.
What this 401k calculator needs from you
- Age and retirement age: they set how many years your money has to grow.
- Current balance and salary: your starting point.
- Your contribution: a percentage of salary, taken before income tax if you use a traditional 401k.
- Employer match: a match rate and the cap, such as «50% up to 6% of salary».
- Optional assumptions: expected return, salary raises, inflation and withdrawal rate.
What the 401k calculator shows you
You get the final balance in future dollars and in today’s dollars, the split between your contributions, your employer’s match and investment growth, and an income estimate at your chosen withdrawal rate. A year-by-year table lets you check every step. The split matters because in a long projection most of the final balance is growth, not deposits.
How much will my 401k be worth at retirement
It depends mostly on three things: how early you start, how much you contribute and what the market returns. The first table uses this 401k calculator for a worker earning $80,000 who contributes 8% and gets a 50% match up to 6%, starting from a zero balance and retiring at 65.
| Start age | You contribute | Employer adds | Growth | Balance at 65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 (40 years) | $482,568 | $180,963 | $1,994,862 | $2,658,393 |
| 35 (30 years) | $304,483 | $114,181 | $758,185 | $1,176,849 |
| 45 (20 years) | $171,970 | $64,489 | $231,914 | $468,374 |
Starting at 25 instead of 35 more than doubles the result, even though you deposit only about 58% more. Time does the heavy lifting. The sooner you start, the less each dollar has to work.
401k balance in today’s dollars
A big future number can mislead because prices rise. With the default example (age 35, $50,000 saved, $80,000 salary, 8% contribution), the 401k calculator projects $1,557,461 at 65. At 2.5% inflation that is worth about $742,508 in today’s dollars. Use the today’s-dollars figure to judge whether the balance covers the lifestyle you want.
401k employer match explained
An employer match is extra money your company adds when you contribute. A common formula is 50% of your contributions up to 6% of salary. On an $80,000 salary, that means you put in $4,800 and your employer adds $2,400. That is an immediate 50% return before any investment gain.
How much is the match worth over 30 years
| Scenario | Employer adds | Balance at 65 |
|---|---|---|
| No employer match | $0 | $1,236,503 |
| 50% match up to 6% | $114,181 | $1,557,461 |
Your employer deposits $114,181 over 30 years, but the match adds $320,958 to your final balance because those deposits also compound. Skipping a match is the most expensive mistake in retirement saving.
Vesting: the catch with a match
Your own contributions are always yours. Employer contributions may follow a vesting schedule. Under federal rules, a company can require up to three years of service all at once (cliff vesting) or up to six years of gradual vesting. If you leave early, you may forfeit part of the match, so check your plan documents before a job change.
2026 401k contribution limits
The IRS caps how much you can defer each year. According to the IRS announcement for 2026, the employee limit rose to $24,500, and the catch-up amounts apply on top of it.
| Your age in 2026 | Base limit | Catch-up | Most you can defer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 50 | $24,500 | $0 | $24,500 |
| 50 to 59, or 64 and over | $24,500 | $8,000 | $32,500 |
| 60 to 63 | $24,500 | $11,250 | $35,750 |
The limit counts your own deferrals only. Employer matching and profit sharing are added separately and fall under a higher overall plan limit. The 401k calculator applies these caps for you and flags when your percentage would exceed them. It holds the limits constant instead of guessing future IRS increases.
How much should you contribute to your 401k
The minimum is whatever it takes to get the full match. Beyond that, a common target is 10% to 15% of gross pay, including the match. The next table shows how the contribution rate changes the outcome for a 35-year-old with $50,000 saved.
| You contribute | Employer adds | Balance at 65 | Today’s dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | $57,090 | $862,051 | $410,976 |
| 6% | $114,181 | $1,343,489 | $640,499 |
| 8% | $114,181 | $1,557,461 | $742,508 |
| 10% | $114,181 | $1,771,434 | $844,518 |
| 15% | $114,181 | $2,306,365 | $1,099,543 |
Going from 3% to 6% is the best deal because it also doubles the employer match. Above 6% the match stops growing, but every extra point still adds about $107,000 by 65.
How much a 401k contribution lowers your paycheck
Saving is cheaper than it looks because traditional contributions reduce taxable income. On an $80,000 salary, a 6% contribution cuts biweekly take-home pay from $2,504.23 to $2,360.23 in a no-income-tax state like Texas, a $144 drop for $184.62 saved. Run your own numbers in our paycheck calculator.
401k savings benchmarks by age
A widely cited rule of thumb says to have about one times your salary saved by 30, three times by 40, six times by 50, eight times by 60 and ten times by 67. Treat it as a rough checkpoint, not a rule. Your own target depends on your spending, other income and retirement age.
Traditional vs Roth 401k
A traditional 401k takes contributions before income tax, so you save tax now and pay it on withdrawals. A Roth 401k takes contributions after tax, so qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. Both share the same $24,500 limit. If you expect a higher tax rate later, Roth often wins. If you expect a lower rate, traditional often wins.
This 401k calculator shows pre-tax balances, which is how a traditional account is reported. For a Roth account the balance is already after tax, so the same projection is worth more in spendable dollars.
How much income can a 401k provide
A popular rule of thumb is the 4% rule: withdraw 4% of the balance in the first year of retirement, then adjust for inflation. With a $1,557,461 balance, 4% is about $62,298 a year, or $5,192 a month. In today’s dollars that is closer to $29,700 a year, which is why inflation matters.
The 4% rule is a guide, not a guarantee. Market returns, spending changes and how long you live all matter. Social Security and other income come on top, so your 401k rarely has to cover everything. You can change the withdrawal rate in the calculator to test 3%, 4% or 5%.
Retirement age and investment return: what moves the result
Two assumptions change the answer more than any budgeting trick. The table below holds everything else constant for the default example.
| Assumption | Years saving | Balance | Today’s dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retire at 62 | 27 | $1,216,897 | $624,755 |
| Retire at 65 | 30 | $1,557,461 | $742,508 |
| Retire at 67 | 32 | $1,829,415 | $830,135 |
| 5% return | 30 | $1,068,693 | $509,491 |
| 7% return | 30 | $1,557,461 | $742,508 |
| 9% return | 30 | $2,317,876 | $1,105,030 |
Working two more years, from 65 to 67, adds about $272,000. A two-point lower return costs about $489,000. Because no one knows the future return, test a cautious case and a hopeful case and plan around the lower one.
401k withdrawals, penalties and required distributions
Money in a 401k is meant for retirement. Withdrawals before age 59½ usually trigger ordinary income tax plus a 10% additional tax, with exceptions for certain cases. Many plans also allow loans, but a loan can become a taxable distribution if you leave your job and cannot repay it.
Traditional accounts must start paying required minimum distributions (RMDs) at age 73, or 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. Roth 401k balances no longer require withdrawals during the owner’s lifetime. When you leave a job, you can usually keep the account, roll it into an IRA or move it to a new employer’s plan.
Once you know your savings plan, check what it means for your housing goals with our mortgage calculator and compare it with our rent vs buy calculator.
Bookmark this 401k calculator and come back whenever your salary, employer match or retirement plans change. It takes a few seconds to see the new number.
Frequently asked questions about the 401k calculator
How much will my 401k be worth in 30 years?
It depends on your contributions and returns, but this 401k calculator’s default example reaches $1,557,461. That is a 35-year-old with $50,000 saved, an $80,000 salary, an 8% contribution, a 50% match up to 6%, 3% raises and a 7% return. In today’s dollars, at 2.5% inflation, it is about $742,508.
What is a good 401k contribution percentage?
Aim for at least enough to get the full employer match, then work toward 10% to 15% of gross pay including the match. In this 401k calculator, raising contributions from 3% to 10% lifts the balance at 65 from $862,051 to $1,771,434 for the same 35-year-old.
How does a 401k employer match work?
Your employer adds money when you contribute, usually a percentage of your contribution up to a cap. For example, 50% up to 6% of an $80,000 salary means you put in $4,800 and your employer adds $2,400. Over 30 years, the 401k calculator shows that match adding about $320,958 to the final balance.
What is the 2026 401k contribution limit?
The 2026 employee limit is $24,500. Workers 50 and older can add an $8,000 catch-up, for $32,500, and those aged 60 to 63 can add $11,250, for $35,750. Employer contributions do not count toward your personal deferral limit. These figures come from IRS Notice 2025-67.
How much should I have in my 401k at 30, 40, 50 and 60?
A widely cited rule of thumb is about 1 times your salary by 30, 3 times by 40, 6 times by 50 and 8 times by 60, reaching 10 times by 67. It is only a checkpoint. Your target depends on your spending, other income and the age you plan to retire.
Is a Roth or traditional 401k better?
Choose traditional if you expect a lower tax rate in retirement, because you deduct contributions now. Choose Roth if you expect a higher rate later, because qualified withdrawals are tax-free. Both share the same $24,500 limit, and many plans let you split contributions between the two.
How much monthly income can a 401k provide?
Under the common 4% rule used by this 401k calculator, a $1,557,461 balance supports about $62,298 a year, or $5,192 a month, in the first year of retirement. In today’s dollars that is about $29,700 a year at 2.5% inflation. The rule is a guideline, not a guarantee.
What happens if I withdraw from my 401k before 59½?
You generally owe ordinary income tax on the withdrawal plus a 10% additional tax, unless an exception applies. Because early withdrawals also remove years of compounding, they cost far more than the amount you take out. Consider other options before touching retirement savings.
Does a 401k contribution lower my paycheck taxes?
Yes. Traditional 401k contributions reduce the wages subject to income tax, though not Social Security or Medicare. On an $80,000 salary in a state with no income tax, a 6% contribution lowers biweekly take-home pay from $2,504.23 to $2,360.23, a $144 drop for $184.62 saved.
What is the difference between a 401k and an IRA?
A 401k is offered through your employer, often with a match, and has a higher limit of $24,500 for 2026. An IRA is opened on your own, offers more investment choices and has a lower limit of $7,500. Many people use both, starting with the 401k up to the match.
Sources: IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026; IRS Notice 2025-67 (2026 limits and catch-up amounts); IRS: catch-up contributions; IRS: required minimum distributions.