What are the 401(k) contribution limits for 2026?

For 2026 the employee elective deferral limit is $24,500. Workers aged 50 and older can add an $8,000 catch-up contribution ($32,500 total), and those aged 60 to 63 get a higher “super catch-up” of $11,250 ($35,750 total). Employer contributions count toward a separate overall limit of $72,000. The IRS indexes these figures each November.

How does an employer match work?

A typical formula is “50 % of your contributions up to 6 % of salary”: if you earn $75,000 and contribute 6 % ($4,500), the employer adds 50 % of that, $2,250. Contribute only 3 % and the match halves to $1,125. Anything you contribute above 6 % is still yours, but it earns no extra match — which is why the calculator flags money left on the table.

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

At minimum enough to capture the full employer match — it is an instant 50–100 % return. A common target is 15 % of gross pay including the match; the calculator shows what any rate does over your career. If cash is tight, raise the rate by 1 % with each pay raise.

What return should I assume?

Long-run US stock returns have averaged about 10 % nominal, bonds 4–5 %. A diversified 401(k) portfolio is usually modeled at 6–8 % before inflation; the default here is 7 %. Subtract roughly 2.5–3 % to think in today’s purchasing power.

Does the calculator include taxes?

No. Traditional 401(k) contributions are pre-tax and withdrawals are taxed as income; Roth 401(k) contributions are after-tax and qualified withdrawals are tax-free. The balance shown is the account value before any tax on withdrawal, which is the same in both cases.

401(k) Calculator with Employer Match

See what your 401(k) could be worth at retirement. Enter your age, salary, contribution rate and your employer’s match formula; the calculator applies the 2026 IRS limits (including the age-50 and age-60–63 catch-ups), grows the balance at your chosen return, raises your salary each year, and shows how much of the final balance came from you, your employer and investment growth.

Current age

Retirement age

Annual salary

Your contribution

% of salary

Employer match

% of your contribution

Matched up to

% of salary

Current 401(k) balance

Annual return

Annual salary increase

Max out every year at the IRS limit ($24,500 in 2026; $32,500 at 50+, $35,750 at 60–63)

Balance at 67

$1,919,133

You contributed

$297,784

Employer match

$148,892

Investment growth

$1,447,457

This year: you put in $4,500 ($375/month, pre-tax) and your employer adds $2,250.

Year-by-year projection (37 years)

Age	Salary	You	Employer	Balance
31	$75,000	$4,500	$2,250	$33,736
32	$77,250	$4,635	$2,318	$43,294
33	$79,568	$4,774	$2,387	$53,736
34	$81,955	$4,917	$2,459	$65,131
35	$84,413	$5,065	$2,532	$77,554
36	$86,946	$5,217	$2,608	$91,081
37	$89,554	$5,373	$2,687	$105,799
38	$92,241	$5,534	$2,767	$121,797
39	$95,008	$5,700	$2,850	$139,173
40	$97,858	$5,871	$2,936	$158,031
41	$100,794	$6,048	$3,024	$178,482
42	$103,818	$6,229	$3,115	$200,646
43	$106,932	$6,416	$3,208	$224,652
44	$110,140	$6,608	$3,304	$250,637
45	$113,444	$6,807	$3,403	$278,749
46	$116,848	$7,011	$3,505	$309,146
47	$120,353	$7,221	$3,611	$341,997
48	$123,964	$7,438	$3,719	$377,484
49	$127,682	$7,661	$3,830	$415,802
50	$131,513	$7,891	$3,945	$457,158
51	$135,458	$8,128	$4,064	$501,777
52	$139,522	$8,371	$4,186	$549,898
53	$143,708	$8,622	$4,311	$601,777
54	$148,019	$8,881	$4,441	$657,690
55	$152,460	$9,148	$4,574	$717,929
56	$157,033	$9,422	$4,711	$782,812
57	$161,744	$9,705	$4,852	$852,676
58	$166,597	$9,996	$4,998	$927,881
59	$171,595	$10,296	$5,148	$1,008,817
60	$176,742	$10,605	$5,302	$1,095,898
61	$182,045	$10,923	$5,461	$1,189,568
62	$187,506	$11,250	$5,625	$1,290,304
63	$193,131	$11,588	$5,794	$1,398,615
64	$198,925	$11,936	$5,968	$1,515,048
65	$204,893	$12,294	$6,147	$1,640,188
66	$211,040	$12,662	$6,331	$1,774,659
67	$217,371	$13,042	$6,521	$1,919,133

Projection in today’s dollars is not shown; a 7 % nominal return is roughly 4–5 % after inflation. Limits are the 2026 IRS figures and are indexed annually.

How the projection works

Each year the calculator takes your salary × contribution rate (capped at that year’s IRS limit), adds the employer match (match % × the part of your contribution that is within the matched percentage of salary), grows the opening balance for a full year and the new contributions for half a year, then raises the salary for the next year.

employee = min(salary × your %, IRS limit for your age)

employer = salary × min(your %, matched %) × match %

balance = balance × (1 + r) + (employee + employer) × (1 + r ÷ 2)

Worked example: age 30, $75,000 salary, 6 % contribution, 50 % match up to 6 %, $25,000 saved, 7 % return, 3 % raises, retiring at 67. You contribute $4,500 and the employer $2,250 in year one; over 37 years the account reaches roughly $1.9 million, of which about $300,000 is your money, $150,000 is employer match and about $1.45 million is investment growth.

2026 IRS limits at a glance

Limit	2026	2025
Employee elective deferral	$24,500	$23,500
Catch-up, age 50+	$8,000	$7,500
Super catch-up, age 60–63	$11,250	$11,250
Total annual additions (employee + employer)	$72,000	$70,000
Compensation cap for match	$360,000	$350,000

Source: IRS annual cost-of-living adjustments (Notice 2025-67 for 2026). High earners (over $150,000 in 2025 wages) must make catch-up contributions as Roth from 2026 under SECURE 2.0.

Three levers that matter most

Capture the full match first — it is the only guaranteed return in investing. Start early: at 7 %, money invested at 25 doubles roughly three times more by 67 than money invested at 45. Escalate automatically: a 1 % increase with every raise gets most people to 15 % without feeling it. Fees are the quiet fourth lever: a 1 % expense ratio versus 0.1 % costs about a quarter of the final balance over a career.

Frequently asked questions

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401(k) Calculator with Employer Match

How the projection works

2026 IRS limits at a glance

Three levers that matter most

Frequently asked questions

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