401(k) Calculator
Project your retirement balance with employer match, salary growth, and the 4% safe withdrawal rule.
Your Information
Contribution & Employer Match
Common: 50% (50¢ per $1) or 100%
Common: 6% of salary cap
Balance at retirement
$2.44M
$2,437,647
Your contributions
$537.8K
over 35 years
Employer match (free)
$161.4K
vested wealth
Investment growth
$1.74M
compound returns
Retirement income (4% safe withdrawal rule)
$8,125/mo
≈ $97,506/year
Adjusted for inflation, this withdrawal rate has historically lasted 30+ years.
Balance Growth
2026 Contribution Limits
About this tool
A complete 401(k) retirement calculator that models employer match, salary growth, and 2026 IRS contribution limits. See your projected balance at retirement, total contributions vs employer match vs investment growth, and your sustainable monthly retirement income at the 4% safe withdrawal rate.
How to use it
Quick steps to get the most out of this utility.
- 1
Enter your basics
Age, retirement age, salary, and current 401(k) balance.
- 2
Set contribution & match
Your % contribution, employer match rate, and the cap (e.g. 50% match up to 6%).
- 3
Choose return assumption
Default 7% (S&P 500 long-term average minus inflation). Adjust for conservative or aggressive scenarios.
- 4
Read your retirement income
The 4% withdrawal card shows the inflation-adjusted monthly income your balance can sustain for 30+ years.
Capturing the full employer match is the highest-return move in personal finance
An employer match is a 100% (or 50% if your match is 50¢ on the dollar) instant return on your contribution. No investment in the world reliably matches that. If your employer matches up to 6% and you only contribute 4%, you are leaving 2% of your salary in free annual income on the table. Over a 35-year career on an $85k salary with 3% raises, that costs roughly $300,000 in retirement balance.
Vesting matters
Your contributions are always 100% vested. The employer match may have a graded or cliff vesting schedule (typically 3–6 years). If you change jobs before fully vested, you forfeit the unvested portion. Check your plan's vesting schedule before declining a job offer with better match terms.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?+
For 2026, employees under 50 can contribute up to $24,000 to a 401(k). Workers age 50 and older can add a $8,000 catch-up contribution, for a total of $32,000. The combined employee + employer limit is $71,000.
How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?+
At minimum, contribute enough to capture your full employer match — that is a 100% return on the matched portion. After that, target 15% of gross income (including the match) toward retirement. If you can max out the IRS limit, even better.
What is a typical employer match?+
The most common formula is 50¢ per $1 you contribute, up to 6% of your salary (a 3% maximum employer contribution). Some employers offer 100% matching up to 3–6%. Always read your plan documents — formulas vary widely.
Should I contribute to a Roth 401(k) or Traditional 401(k)?+
Traditional 401(k) reduces your taxes today but you pay tax on withdrawal. Roth 401(k) is post-tax now but tax-free in retirement. If you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement, Roth wins; lower bracket, Traditional wins. Many people split the difference.
What is the 4% safe withdrawal rule?+
The 4% rule says you can withdraw 4% of your retirement balance in year 1, then adjust for inflation each year, with high probability your money lasts 30+ years. A $1.5M balance supports about $60,000/year ($5,000/month) in inflation-adjusted retirement income.
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