Retirement Benefit CalculatorSSA · IRS · CMS figures, 2026 & 2027

401(k) · 403(b) · 457(b) · 2026 & 2027 limits

401k calculator: your balance at retirement with the match

Saving 6% of a $75,000 salary with a 50% match on the first 6%, starting at 35 with $50,000, grows to about $1,219,032 by 67 at 6% a year ($553,161 in today's dollars). The 2026 employee limit is $24,500; for 2027 it is $25,500.

Retirement Benefit Calculator editorial teamUpdated 5 sources

Calculator

401k calculator with employer match

Year by year: your deferrals (capped at the IRS limit for your age), the employer match, the 415(c) total cap and growth.

Try a scenario
You and your pay
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Your contributions
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IRS limits
Employer match
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Assumptions
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401(k) balance at 67$1,219,032$553,161 in today’s dollars · about $4,063/mo at a 4% withdrawal

$0$610K$1.2M36424854606667
  • Your contributions + today’s balance
  • Employer
  • Investment growth
Balance today$50,000
You contribute (32 years)$236,262
Employer match$118,131
Investment growth$814,639
Balance at 67$1,219,032
2026 limit at your age$24,500
This year: you + employer$4,500 + $2,250

Limits stay at the 2026 amounts and pay grows 3% a year; returns of 6% a year are an assumption, not a forecast. Catch-up contributions start the year you turn 50, and the larger age 60–63 catch-up applies in the years you turn 60, 61, 62 and 63.

How the 401k calculator works

The 401k calculator adds your contributions, your employer's match and investment growth for every year until retirement, and it stops your contributions at the IRS limit for your age. Each year it does four things:

  1. Your deferral is your contribution rate times that year's pay, capped at the elective deferral limit: $24,500 for 2026 or $25,500 for 2027[n2567][n2667]. From the year you turn 50 it can add the catch-up; in the years you turn 60, 61, 62 and 63 the larger SECURE 2.0 catch-up applies instead[catchup].
  2. The match follows your plan's formula on the pay you defer, using pay up to the compensation limit ($360,000 in 2026, $375,000 in 2027).
  3. The 415(c) cap. Your deferrals (not counting catch-up) plus employer money cannot pass $72,000 for 2026 or $75,000 for 2027; if they would, the employer amount is cut back[k401lim].
  4. Growth. Contributions go in evenly through the year and compound monthly at your return. The today's-dollars figure divides the result by your inflation rate.

The limits stay at the 2026 (or 2027) amounts for every future year, so the projection is conservative for anyone who will max out: the IRS raises them with inflation, usually by $500 at a time.

401(k) contribution limits, 2025 to 2027

The employee limit rises to $25,500 in 2027 and the age 60–63 catch-up to $11,750, according to IRS Notice 2026-66[n2667].

401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b) and TSP limits
Limit202520262027
Employee deferral (402(g))$23,500$24,500$25,500
Catch-up, age 50 and older$7,500$8,000$8,500
Catch-up in the years you turn 60–63$11,250$11,250$11,750
Total employee + employer (415(c))$70,000$72,000$75,000
Compensation counted for the match$350,000$360,000$375,000
Catch-up must be Roth if prior-year FICA wages exceed—$150,000$155,000

The full list for every account type, including IRAs and HSAs, is on the 2026 contribution limits page; the 401(k) limit page explains the catch-up rules in detail.

Worked example: $60,000 salary, 6% with a 50% match

A 30-year-old earning $60,000 who saves 6% puts in $3,600 a year; a 50% match on the first 6% adds $1,800, so $5,400 goes in each year. With no raises and a 6% return, the account reaches:

Same contributions every year, 6% return, nominal dollars
AgeYou contributedEmployer addedBalance
40$36,000$18,000$73,113
50$72,000$36,000$204,047
60$108,000$54,000$438,531
67$133,200$66,600$705,948

Of the $705,948 at 67, $133,200 is your money, $66,600 is the match and $506,148 is growth: compounding does most of the work over 37 years.

How much the employer match adds

The match is the largest guaranteed return in most plans: in this example it is worth $235,316 by 67. The formula matters too:

Age 30 to 67, $60,000 salary, 6% return
ScenarioEmployer per yearBalance at 67
6% saved, no match$0$470,632
6% saved, 50% of the first 6%$1,800$705,948
6% saved, 100% of 3% + 50% of the next 2%$2,400$784,387
3% saved, 50% of the first 6%$900$352,974

Saving 3% instead of 6% halves both your money and the match: the balance falls to $352,974. A federal employee's TSP has its own formula (1% automatic plus up to 4%); use the TSP calculator for that.

Common mistakes

  • Contributing less than the match. Below the match cap you leave free money behind; check your plan's formula and vesting schedule.
  • Counting the match against your $24,500. The match does not use up your deferral limit; it counts only toward the $72,000 total.
  • Missing the age 60–63 window. The larger catch-up ($11,250 for 2026) applies in the calendar years you turn 60, 61, 62 and 63; at 64 it drops back to $8,000.
  • Front-loading. Hitting the limit by mid-year can stop the match for the rest of the year unless the plan has a true-up.
  • Forgetting the Roth catch-up rule. If your prior-year FICA wages from the employer were over $150,000, 2026 catch-up contributions must be Roth.

Other accountsAn IRA adds up to $7,500 a year ($8,600 at 50+); see the Roth IRA calculator. Self-employed? The solo 401(k) calculator adds the employer share for owners. Planning to stop work before 59½? Try the early retirement calculator. From 73 or 75, withdrawals are required: see the RMD calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How much will my 401k be worth when I retire?

It depends on your contribution rate, the match, your pay and returns. For example, saving 6% of $75,000 with a 50% match from age 35 with $50,000 already saved grows to about $1,219,032 by 67 at 6% a year. Enter your own numbers in the 401k calculator above.

What is the 401k contribution limit for 2026 and 2027?

$24,500 for 2026 and $25,500 for 2027, plus a catch-up of $8,000 ($8,500 in 2027) from age 50, or $11,250 ($11,750 in 2027) in the years you turn 60 to 63.

How much should I contribute to get the full 401k match?

At least the percentage of pay your plan matches up to. With "50% of the first 6%" you must save 6%; with "100% of the first 3% plus 50% of the next 2%" you must save 5% to get the full 4% match.

Does the employer match count toward the 401k limit?

No. The $24,500 limit applies only to your own deferrals. Employer matching and profit-sharing count toward the separate $72,000 total limit for 2026.

When can I withdraw from my 401k without a penalty?

At 59½. If you leave the employer during or after the year you turn 55 (50 for qualified public safety employees), withdrawals from that employer's plan also avoid the 10% additional tax. Withdrawals are still taxed as income, except qualified Roth distributions.

Does the 401k calculator include the age 60–63 catch-up?

Yes. With catch-up on, it uses the regular catch-up from the year you turn 50 and the larger SECURE 2.0 amount in the years you turn 60, 61, 62 and 63, if your contribution rate is high enough to reach it.

Sources

  1. Notice 2025-67, 2026 Amounts Relating to Retirement Plans and IRAs · Internal Revenue Service, Nov 13, 2025
  2. Notice 2026-66, 2027 Amounts Relating to Retirement Plans and IRAs, as Adjusted for Changes in Cost-of-Living · Internal Revenue Service, Nov 12, 2026
  3. Retirement topics: 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits · Internal Revenue Service, 2026
  4. Retirement topics: Catch-up contributions · Internal Revenue Service, 2026
  5. Retirement topics: Exceptions to tax on early distributions · Internal Revenue Service, read Nov 14, 2026