Project your 401(k) balance at retirement with your contributions, your employer’s match and salary growth, see what each extra percent costs you per paycheck after tax, and find out whether you’re leaving free match money on the table.
Compare contribution rates
| You contribute | Employer match (first year) | Take-home cost per paycheck | Balance at retirement | In today’s money |
|---|
2026 limits: $24,500, plus $8,000 from age 50 or $11,250 at ages 60–63, held at 2026 levels. Take-home cost uses 2026 federal tax, Social Security and Medicare; no state tax.
🔒 Tested: nothing you enter or upload leaves your browser. How we test
Updated 24 October 2026. Results are estimates for information only, not financial, tax, legal or investment advice. Actual rates, fees, taxes and rules vary. How our calculators work
Embed this calculator on your website
Free to use on any site: paste this code where you want the calculator. It has no ads and nothing your visitors type is sent anywhere. Please keep the credit line.
How to use the 401(k) Calculator with Employer Match
- Enter your age, the age you plan to retire, your salary, how fast you expect it to grow and your current 401(k) balance.
- Enter your contribution as a percentage of salary and your employer’s match formula, for example 50% of what you put in, up to 6% of salary.
- Read your projected balance, how much of it comes from the match, and what your contribution costs per paycheck after tax. The table compares other contribution rates.
About this tool
A 401(k) match is the closest thing to free money most employees get. If your employer matches 50% of contributions up to 6% of salary, putting in 6% earns an instant 3% of salary on top. Contributing less than the full match leaves part of your pay unclaimed, and the calculator shows exactly how much that is worth by retirement.
How it works: each year your salary grows by the rate you enter. Your contribution is that percentage of salary, capped at the 2026 IRS limit of $24,500 (plus an $8,000 catch-up from age 50, or $11,250 at ages 60 to 63). The employer adds its match on the part of your contribution up to the match limit. Contributions go in monthly and the balance grows at your expected return. The limits are held at their 2026 level, so the projection is slightly conservative for high savers, since the IRS raises them with inflation.
The take-home cost is what a contribution really removes from your paycheck. A traditional (pre-tax) contribution lowers your federal income tax, so $100 into the plan costs about $88 of take-home pay in the 12% bracket, or $78 in the 22% bracket. A Roth contribution is made after tax, so it costs the full amount now and comes out tax-free later. The estimate uses the 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction, the same as the take-home pay calculator; state tax and credits are left out.
Returns are assumed constant, which real markets are not, and fees reduce them: a fund charging 1% a year takes a large share of a 40-year balance, as the investment fee calculator shows. Treat the result as a planning estimate, not a promise.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?
$24,500 of your own contributions. From age 50 you can add an $8,000 catch-up ($32,500 in total), and at ages 60 to 63 a larger $11,250 catch-up ($35,750 in total). Employer contributions don’t count toward your $24,500.
How does a 401(k) match work?
Your employer adds money based on what you contribute. A common formula is 50% of your contributions up to 6% of salary: contribute 6% of a $60,000 salary ($3,600) and the employer adds $1,800. Contributing more than 6% gets no extra match; contributing 4% gets $1,200.
How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?
At least enough to get the full employer match, because that is an immediate return you can’t get elsewhere. Beyond that it depends on your other goals, debts and savings. Many planners suggest saving 10% to 15% of income for retirement in total, including the match.
Should I choose traditional or Roth 401(k)?
Traditional saves tax now and is taxed when you withdraw; Roth is taxed now and withdrawn tax-free in retirement. If you expect a lower tax rate in retirement than today, traditional usually wins; if higher, Roth. Many people split between the two. Employer matching contributions have traditionally gone in pre-tax either way.
Does the calculator include vesting?
No. Some employers make the match vest over several years, so leaving early can forfeit part of it. Check your plan’s vesting schedule in the summary plan description.
Is anything I enter sent anywhere?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing you type leaves your device.