Calcs for Life

401(k) Calculator

Project your 401(k) balance with your contributions, employer match and salary raises.

$
% of pay
% of yours

e.g. 50% means the employer adds $0.50 per $1 you put in.

% of pay
$
%
%
$

Optional. Enter the current IRS limit to cap your contributions; 0 means no cap.

401(k) balance at age 65

$991,226

Your contributions
$225,000
Employer match
$67,500
Investment growth
$698,726
This year: you contribute
$7,500
This year: employer adds
$2,250
Your contributions: 22.7%Employer match: 6.8%Growth: 70.5%
  • Your contributions$225,00022.7%
  • Employer match$67,5006.8%
  • Growth$698,72670.5%
Balance by age30 rows
AgeYouEmployerBalance
36$7,500$2,250$10,069
37$7,500$2,250$20,866
38$7,500$2,250$32,443
39$7,500$2,250$44,858
40$7,500$2,250$58,169
41$7,500$2,250$72,443
42$7,500$2,250$87,749
43$7,500$2,250$104,162
44$7,500$2,250$121,760
45$7,500$2,250$140,631
46$7,500$2,250$160,867
47$7,500$2,250$182,565
48$7,500$2,250$205,831
49$7,500$2,250$230,780
50$7,500$2,250$257,532
51$7,500$2,250$286,218
52$7,500$2,250$316,978
53$7,500$2,250$349,961
54$7,500$2,250$385,329
55$7,500$2,250$423,253
56$7,500$2,250$463,919
57$7,500$2,250$507,525
58$7,500$2,250$554,283
59$7,500$2,250$604,421
60$7,500$2,250$658,183
61$7,500$2,250$715,832
62$7,500$2,250$777,649
63$7,500$2,250$843,934
64$7,500$2,250$915,011
65$7,500$2,250$991,226

How it works

A 401(k) grows from three sources: your payroll contributions, your employer's matching contributions, and investment returns on both.

A typical match is "50% of what you contribute, up to 6% of pay": if you put in 6%, your employer adds 3%. Contributing at least enough to get the full match is usually the highest-return move available, since it is an instant 50–100% return on those dollars.

The IRS limits how much employees can contribute each year and the limit changes periodically, so enter the current figure if you want contributions capped. Catch-up contributions for people 50 and older are not modeled.

Formula

Each year: you = salary × contribution %; match = min(you, salary × cap %) × match %; balance grows monthly at return ÷ 12

Questions people ask

Should I contribute enough to get the full match?

In almost every case, yes. The match is part of your compensation, and skipping it leaves money on the table.

Is the employer match vested immediately?

Not always. Many plans use a vesting schedule (for example, 20% per year over five years). Your own contributions are always 100% yours.

Does the match count toward my contribution limit?

No. The employee elective deferral limit covers only your own contributions. A separate, higher limit applies to total contributions from you and your employer combined.