401(k) Calculator
United States Uses U.S. IRS retirement-account and federal deposit rules. Figures are in U.S. dollars.
401(k) calculator: balance at retirement in today’s dollars, the match you leave on the table, fees, and Roth vs traditional after tax.
Educational estimate only. Not a lending decision. Your numbers stay in this browser.
Results
How to read this: the verdict describes how much room your numbers leave, not a decision or an offer. Change any input to see how much the result moves.
Investing and retirement guides
These guides explain compounding, contribution projections, retirement targets, inflation, and real returns.
- Compound interest explained
- Investment return with contributions
- Retirement savings target
- Inflation and real returns
For all guide topics, open Guides. For source and estimate boundaries, read Calculation Methodology and Sources and Assumptions.
Assumptions and formula
Year by year, your salary grows at the rate you enter and you contribute your percentage of it, capped at the 2026 IRS limit for your age. The employer adds its match on what you put in, up to its limit. The balance grows at your return less the fund fees, and each year’s contributions are added at the end of the year.
Limits: $24,500 of your own money, plus a $8,000 catch-up from age 50 or $11,250 at ages 60 to 63, and $72,000 together with your employer, not counting catch-ups (IRS, 2026). They are held flat. Match left on the table is the employer money you give up by contributing less than the match limit, grown to retirement. Roth vs traditional is compared at the same paycheck cost, taxed at the rates you enter; employer money and any existing balance are pre-tax either way.
Worked example
A 30-year-old earning $60,000 with 2% raises who puts in 10%, with a 50% match on the first 6%, a 7% return and 0.5% fees, reaches about $1,215,631 at 65: about $512,232 in today’s dollars. The fees cost $137,933 of it. Putting in 3% instead gives up $900 of match this year and about $140,265 by 65.
Frequently asked questions
How much will a 401(k) be worth at 65?
For a 30-year-old earning $60,000 with 2% raises who puts in 10% with a 50% match up to 6%, a 7% return and 0.5% fees: about $1.22 million, or $512,000 in today’s dollars. The fees cost about $138,000 of it.
How much can I put in a 401(k) in 2026?
$24,500 of your own money. From age 50 you can add a $8,000 catch-up, for $32,500, and in the years you turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 the catch-up is $11,250, for $35,750. Your money and your employer’s together are limited to $72,000, not counting catch-ups. From 2026, higher earners must make their catch-up contributions as Roth.
How much will my 401(k) be worth when I retire?
It depends most on how long you contribute. At $60,000 a year with 2% raises, putting in 10% with a 50% match up to 6%, a 7% return and 0.5% fees, a 30-year-old reaches about $1.22 million at 65, about $512,000 in today’s dollars. The fees cost about $138,000 of that.
Am I leaving employer match on the table?
If you contribute less than the percentage your employer matches up to, yes. With a 50% match on the first 6% of a $60,000 salary, contributing 3% gives up $900 a year of free money; that adds up to about $140,000 by 65 for a 30-year-old with the growth in the example above. The calculator shows the figure for your own numbers.
Should I choose a Roth or traditional 401(k)?
Compare your tax rate now with the one you expect in retirement. For the same cost to your paycheck, traditional wins if your rate in retirement will be lower, and Roth wins if it will be higher; with equal rates they come out the same. At 22% now and 12% in retirement, the example above leaves about $1.07 million after tax all-traditional against $976,000 all-Roth.
How much do 401(k) fees cost?
More than they look. A 0.5% expense ratio takes about $138,000 from the $1.2 million in the example over 35 years, because the fee is charged on the whole balance every year and the money lost would have compounded too. Check your plan’s fund expense ratios and enter the one you use.
Is this a 401k estimator with employer match?
Yes. This 401k calculator with employer match projects the balance from your salary, contribution and match, so it works as a 401k estimator calculator for a traditional or Roth 401(k), and as a 403(b) or governmental 457(b) calculator, which share the same limits. It is a 401 k calculator and 401k growth calculator for traditional contributions, and a Roth 401k calculator when you compare Roth with traditional.
Can I use this as a 401k planner?
Yes. It works as a 401k planner and 401k projection calculator: enter your salary, your contribution and the employer match to see the balance at retirement. It is also a 401k contribution calculator for testing a higher contribution rate.
Sources
Sources reviewed 3 October 2026: checked against their current editions on that date.
- IRS, 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026: elective deferral limit $24,500, catch-up $8,000 at 50 and over, combined limit $72,000.
- IRS, Retirement topics — catch-up contributions: the higher SECURE 2.0 catch-up of $11,250 for those turning 60 to 63 in 2026.
- IRS Notice 2025-67, 2026 amounts relating to retirement plans and IRAs.
This page is an educational estimate, not personal financial or tax advice. Eligibility and individual circumstances can change the result.