A 401(k) calculator turns your age, salary, and contribution rate into a concrete number. That’s the balance you’re on pace for at retirement.
You’ve probably watched a chunk of every paycheck disappear into your 401(k) without ever seeing what it adds up to. The free 401(k) calculator below runs the math for you. It takes about a minute, and it won’t ask for your email.
Use the 401(k) Calculator to See Your Balance at Retirement
Enter your age, current 401(k) balance, salary, and contribution rate below. You’ll see your projected balance, including your employer match, in seconds.
Enter your age, what you’ve saved, your salary, how much you’re setting aside, and what your employer kicks in. You’ll get a clear projection in return. You’ll also see how your balance breaks down: what you started with, plus what comes from you, your employer, and growth.
The number won’t be exact. No calculator can see your actual investment returns ahead of time. What it gives you is a solid, realistic starting point that you can adjust as your situation changes.
How Does a 401(k) Grow Over Time?
A 401(k) balance grows from three sources: what you put in, what your employer adds, and what your investments earn. Your own contributions come out of every paycheck before you ever see the money. The employer match adds more on top, if your plan offers one. Then the market goes to work on all of it.
Growth is the piece people underestimate. The right rate to assume depends on your asset mix and your time horizon. Boldin’s guide to what rate of return to use for retirement planning walks through both in more depth. This calculator defaults to 7%, which works well for someone still saving.
How Much Should You Contribute to Your 401(k)?
Most advisors suggest contributing at least enough to your 401(k) to get your full employer match. From there, more is better if you can afford it. Treat the match as non-negotiable. Walking away from it amounts to turning down part of your own compensation.
Past the match, aim for 10% to 15% of your salary, counting both your contribution and what your employer adds. Where you land within that range depends on when you started and what else is competing for your paycheck right now. There’s no single number that fits everyone, so use that range as a guide rather than a grade.
If you’re behind where you’d like to be, you’re not alone, and it’s rarely too late to close the distance. Workers 50 and older get extra room through catch-up contributions. It’s one of the more useful levers once the mortgage and tuition are behind you.
How Much Can You Contribute to a 401(k) in 2026?
You can contribute up to $24,500 to a 401(k) in 2026, or more if you’re 50 or older. The limit is the same whether your money goes into a traditional or Roth account.
The IRS sets a new limit every year, and 2026 brought a meaningful increase. Here’s what applies to your paycheck this year.
| Age | You Can Contribute |
|---|---|
| Under 50 | $24,500 |
| 50 to 59 | $32,500 |
| 60 to 63 | $35,750 |
| 64 and older | $32,500 |
The bump at 60 to 63 is a temporary “super catch-up” window created by SECURE 2.0. Once you turn 64, your catch-up amount drops back to the standard level, the same one that applies from 50 to 59.
How Do 401(k) Employer Match Formulas Work?
“50% up to 6%” means your employer’s 401(k) match adds 50 cents per dollar, until your contribution hits 6% of salary.
Match formulas can sound like a foreign language until someone breaks them down. The formula above, 50% up to 6%, is the version used by a large share of plans.
Here’s what that looks like in practice. Contribute 6% and you get the employer’s full 3% match. If you contribute less, your match shrinks with the amount. Contribute more than 6%, and the extra doesn’t get matched at all.
Some employers match dollar for dollar instead, or use a higher cap. The average total match across employers now sits at 4.7% of pay. That’s a record high, according to Vanguard’s latest How America Saves report. Whatever your plan’s formula, this calculator’s employer match fields let you model it.
Turning down the match means turning down free money.
How Does Compound Interest Grow Your 401(k) Balance?
The earlier you start, the more of your final balance comes from compound growth instead of your own contributions. Compounding rewards time more than it rewards effort. Money invested for 30 years does more work than money invested for 10, even at the same contribution rate.
That’s why the calculator breaks your total balance into four visual segments. One shows what you already have today, and the other three cover your contributions, employer match, and investment growth.
Start in your 20s or 30s, and growth tends to become the largest slice by far. It can end up bigger than everything you and your employer put in combined. Start later, and contributions carry more of the weight, which just means the habit of saving matters even more.
Either way, the lesson holds: a small contribution today is worth more than a larger one ten years from now.
Does This 401(k) Calculator Work for Roth or Solo Plans?
The growth math is the same for Roth 401(k)s and traditional accounts. Solo 401(k)s and self-employed plans follow different rules.
If you have a Roth 401(k), the balance builds on the same curve either way. What changes is when you pay tax on the money.
One thing worth knowing if you’re a high earner: a new 2026 rule changes how catch-up contributions work. Once your wages cross a certain threshold, those contributions have to go into a Roth account. You don’t get a choice in the matter. Our guide to Roth 401(k) limits covers exactly who that applies to and what it means for your paycheck.
If you’re self-employed, this calculator isn’t built for your situation, and that’s fine. A solo 401(k) follows its own contribution rules, since you’re technically both the employee and the employer making the match.
Is Your 401(k) Enough for Retirement?
A 401(k) balance alone can’t tell you if it’s enough to cover your retirement. It depends on Social Security, other savings, and how long your money needs to last.
No single number can settle that question. What matters is how your 401(k) balance fits into your full retirement picture, alongside Social Security and everything else you’re counting on.
That’s how retirement math works. It’s why so many people run a calculator like this one and still feel unsettled afterward. The balance is real. What it means for your life is a question only the rest of your plan can answer.
Want to see how your 401(k) fits with the rest of your retirement picture? The Boldin Planner pulls Social Security timing, taxes, and your full withdrawal strategy into one place. Wherever your number lands today, there’s a path forward from here.
Frequently Asked Questions About 401(k) Calculators
What happens to unvested employer match if I leave my job?
If you leave before your match fully vests, you typically forfeit whatever hasn’t vested yet. Vesting schedules vary by employer. Some hand over the full match immediately. Others phase it in over three to six years. Check your plan’s summary description before assuming the full match is yours. That matters most if a job change is already on your mind.
Can I contribute to a 401(k) and an IRA in the same year?
A 401(k) and an IRA run on separate contribution limits, so maxing one doesn’t reduce your room in the other. Having a workplace plan can affect whether your traditional IRA contributions are tax-deductible, depending on your income. A Roth IRA carries its own income limits no matter whether you also have a 401(k). Most people can use both accounts together as part of one coordinated savings strategy.
Do employer matching contributions count toward my 401(k) contribution limit?
Employer matching contributions get counted separately from your personal $24,500 limit, under a combined employee-and-employer cap of $72,000 for 2026. That combined ceiling mostly matters for high earners with generous matches or profit-sharing plans. Most workers never get close to it through the match alone.
What happens if I contribute more than the 401(k) limit in a year?
Contributions above the annual limit are called excess deferrals. The IRS requires them to be corrected by April 15 of the following year. Miss that deadline and the excess gets taxed twice. It’s taxed in the year you contributed it, then again when the plan eventually distributes it. Most payroll systems cap contributions automatically. The risk shows up if you switch jobs mid-year, since both employers can withhold up to the full limit.
Can I take a loan from my 401(k) before I retire?
Many 401(k) plans allow loans, though it depends on whether your specific plan offers them. The IRS caps the amount at 50% of your vested balance or $50,000, whichever is lower. Repayment usually has to happen within five years through payroll deduction, with a longer window if you’re borrowing to buy a home. Leave your job with a loan outstanding, and the remaining balance can come due much faster than the original schedule.
Can you lose money in a 401(k)?
A 401(k) balance moves with the market, so a downturn can shrink it just like any other invested account. The dollars you and your employer put in don’t disappear, but their current value can drop until the market recovers. That’s part of why a projection like this one uses an assumed rate of return instead of a guarantee. Staying invested through the dips, more than trying to dodge them, is what usually determines the outcome by retirement.
