Free 401(k) calculator. Project your retirement account balance from salary, contribution percentage, employer match, and expected annual return, with a year-by-year growth schedule.
A 401(k) calculator projects how your retirement account grows by adding your annual contribution (a percentage of salary, capped at the IRS annual limit) plus your employer's matching contribution each year, then compounding the combined balance at your expected annual return, year after year until retirement.
1.109.444,38 €
Projected balance at retirement
Last updated:
401(k) Calculator
A 401(k) balance grows from three sources each year: your own contribution (a percentage of salary you choose, deducted from each paycheck), your employer's matching contribution (if your plan offers one), and investment growth on the combined balance. This calculator projects all three, year by year, from today until your target retirement age.
The employer match is the part people most often underuse. If your plan offers, say, a 50% match up to 6% of pay and you're only contributing 3%, you're leaving 1.5% of your salary in matching funds on the table every single paycheck — money your employer would otherwise add to your account for free.
The Match Formula
Employer matches are usually described in a "X% match up to Y% of pay" format. "50% match up to 6%" means your employer contributes 50 cents for every dollar you contribute, but only on the first 6% of your salary that you contribute — contributing 6% of salary triggers a 3% employer match, for 9% total going into the account. Contributing 10% still only gets the 3% match (since the match caps at 6% of contributed salary), so the extra 4% is fully self-funded.
Some employers use a dollar-for-dollar (100%) match instead, or a tiered formula (e.g. 100% on the first 3%, then 50% on the next 2%). This calculator uses the simpler single-rate-up-to-a-limit format, which covers the most common plan structure.
Compounding Over Time
Because 401(k) growth compounds — each year's investment returns are calculated on the full balance, including prior years' growth — money contributed early has far more time to compound than money contributed later. A dollar contributed at age 25 has roughly 40 years to grow before a typical retirement age; the same dollar contributed at 45 has only about 20.
This is why the same monthly contribution produces a dramatically larger final balance the earlier it starts, even without increasing the contribution rate. This calculator's year-by-year schedule makes that compounding visible — the balance growth accelerates noticeably in the later years, even though the contribution and match percentages stay constant.
Limitations
This projection assumes a constant annual return, which real investment markets never actually deliver — returns vary significantly year to year, sometimes negative, even if long-run averages are positive. It also assumes your contribution percentage, salary growth rate, and employer match formula stay fixed for your entire career, none of which is guaranteed.
It doesn't account for investment fees, which can meaningfully reduce long-term growth, vesting schedules on employer contributions (some employers require a few years of tenure before match funds fully belong to you), or required minimum distributions after retirement. Use this as a directional planning tool, not a precise forecast.
Practical Use Cases
Deciding your contribution percentage
Comparing projected balances at different contribution rates to find one that fits your budget and goals.
Understanding the cost of under-contributing
Seeing exactly how much employer match you're leaving unclaimed at your current contribution rate.
Evaluating a new job's 401(k) plan
Comparing two job offers with different employer match formulas to see the long-term impact.
Checking progress toward a target balance
Projecting whether your current savings rate will realistically reach a balance goal by retirement.
Planning around a raise
Seeing how bumping your contribution percentage after a salary increase changes your projected retirement balance.
A common formula is "50% match up to 6% of pay" — meaning if you contribute 6% of your salary, your employer adds another 3% (half of what you put in), for a combined 9% going into your account. Contributing less than the match threshold leaves free money on the table; contributing more than it doesn't get additional match on the excess.
For 2026, the IRS elective deferral limit is $24,500 for employees under 50 (this calculator uses that limit). Employees 50 and older can contribute additional "catch-up" amounts on top of the standard limit — check the current IRS figures, as these limits are adjusted annually for inflation.
Contributing at least up to your employer's match threshold is widely considered a baseline recommendation, since the match is effectively free money added directly to your retirement savings. Beyond the match threshold, whether to contribute more depends on your other financial priorities like high-interest debt or an emergency fund.
This calculator assumes a constant contribution percentage, employer match formula, and annual return every year, which is a simplification — real markets don't return the same percentage annually, and your salary, contribution rate, or employer's match formula may all change over your career. Treat the result as a rough long-term estimate, not a guarantee.
This calculator projects forward from your salary and contribution rate to a final balance. Our [[link:/retirement-calculator|retirement calculator]] works backward from a target retirement income to the nest egg size you'd need, which is a different (and complementary) planning question.