401(k) calculator

How big your 401(k) could be when you retire, with your contributions, the employer match, yearly raises and a return you choose, in today’s dollars too.

Balance at 65

$1,100,107

about $524,468 in today’s dollars, after 2.5% a year of inflation

You put in $214,089
Employer adds $107,045
Growth $758,973

Starting at 35 with $20,000 in your 401(k) and saving 6% of a $75,000 salary (with 3% raises a year) and a 50% employer match up to 6% of pay, at 7% a year your balance could reach $1,100,107 at 65, after 30 years. You put in $214,089, your employer $107,045, and the growth adds $758,973.

In today’s dollars, with 2.5% inflation, that is about $524,468. A projection is not a promise: returns change from year to year, and fees, taxes on withdrawals and your own changes of plan are not included. Treat the result as an illustration of how time, contributions and the match add up.

The return you enter is an assumption. The same plan can end well above or well below the result, and a bad stretch just before retirement matters more than one early on.
Not included: catch-up contributions for age 50 and over, fees, a vesting schedule for the match, taxes on withdrawals (a traditional 401(k) is taxed when you take the money out) and Social Security.

I’m not an accountant or a financial advisor. This is an estimate, for information only. Check with a professional before you decide.

Your numbers

example: change the numbers

Your salary now

Your gross yearly pay today. Your 401(k) contribution is a share of it.

Your age now

Your age today.

Age you plan to retire

The age you expect to stop contributing and start using the money.

What is in your 401(k) now

Your current balance. Enter 0 if you are starting.

Your contribution

The share of your pay you put in each year. The 2026 limit is $24,500 a year (more if you are 50 or older); the calculator stops at the limit.

Employer match

How much of your contribution your employer adds, as a percentage: 50 means 50 cents for each dollar you put in, 100 means a dollar for a dollar. Enter 0 if there is no match. Ask HR for your plan’s formula.

Match applies up to this share of your pay

The match stops at a share of your salary: a plan that matches 50% of the first 6% has 50 above and 6 here. Enter 0 if there is no match.

Yearly return

The growth you assume each year after fees. Nobody knows it: real returns go up and down, and a lower figure is the cautious choice. The example is an assumption, not a forecast.

Yearly raise

How much you expect your salary to grow each year. Your contribution grows with it.

Inflation

Used to show the final balance in today’s dollars. Enter 0 to skip it.

Show the detailsHide the details

The projection
	Starting balance	$20,000
+	Your contributions6% of pay, with raises	$214,089
+	Employer match	$107,045
+	Investment growth7% a year, compounded monthly	$758,973
=	Balance at 65	$1,100,107
	In today’s dollars2.5% inflation	$524,468
	Balance at 45after 10 years	$149,930
	Balance at 55after 20 years	$448,787

How it works

Each month your own contribution is your pay times your contribution percentage, divided by 12, up to the yearly limit of $24,500 for 2026. The employer match is added when your plan offers one: a share of your contribution, up to a share of your pay.
The balance grows each month by the monthly return (the yearly return divided by 12), and then the month’s contributions are added. Once a year your pay rises by your yearly raise, and your contribution with it.
The result is the balance when you reach your retirement age. To compare it with today’s prices, it is divided by the cumulative inflation over those years.

Worked example

Age 35, a $75,000 salary growing 3% a year, $20,000 already saved, 6% contributed and a 50% match up to 6%, 7% a year until 65: your contributions $214,089, the employer $107,045, a balance of $1,100,107, or about $524,468 in today’s dollars at 2.5% inflation.

Sources

IRS — 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500

Text checked on October 12, 2026

Good to know

The most valuable part of a 401(k) is often the employer match. A plan that matches 50 cents on each dollar up to 6% of pay adds 3% of your salary a year, as long as you contribute at least 6%.
The 2026 limit on your own contributions to a 401(k) is $24,500, and $32,500 if you are 50 or older ($35,750 at ages 60 to 63). Employer money does not count toward your limit, but the plan has an overall cap.
Time matters more than most people expect. Contributions made in the first years have decades to grow: the same total saved ten years later reaches a much lower balance.
Money in a traditional 401(k) is taxed when you take it out, and withdrawals before 59½ generally cost an extra 10%, with exceptions. A Roth 401(k) is taxed now instead. See the guide on 401(k) and IRA limits.
Your match may follow a vesting schedule: if you leave the company early you may lose part of the employer’s money. Check your plan’s documents.
Fees in the funds you choose reduce the return. Enter a return after fees.

Frequently asked questions

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

It depends on how much you contribute, the employer match, how long it grows and the return. The calculator projects it from the figures you enter, as an illustration and not a forecast.

What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?

$24,500 for your own contributions. If you are 50 or older you can add a $8,000 catch-up, and $11,250 instead at ages 60 to 63 (IRS).

How does an employer match work?

Your employer adds money when you contribute, often a share of your contribution up to a share of your pay, such as 50 cents on the dollar for the first 6%. Contributing at least up to the match is how you get all of it.

What return should I assume?

No one knows. Pick a figure after fees that you would be comfortable planning with, and try a lower one too to see the difference. The 7% in the example is only an assumption.

Is a 401(k) better than an IRA?

They are separate accounts and you can have both. A 401(k) has a higher limit and often an employer match; an IRA offers more investment choices. See the guide on 401(k) or IRA.