How much will my 401(k) be worth at retirement?
Enter your age, your salary, how much of it you defer, the match your employer offers and the growth rate you want to test. The calculator walks forward one calendar year at a time: it raises your salary, works out your deferral, caps it at that year's IRS limit, adds the match, and grows the balance.
On the defaults, a 35-year-old earning $100,000 defers 15%, or $15,000 in 2026. The employer matches 50% of deferrals up to 6% of pay, which is $3,000. Salary rises 3% a year and the account starts at $25,000. At a growth rate of 6% a year the 401(k) reaches $2,186,081 at 65. Of that, $712,283 is your own deferrals, $142,726 is employer match and $1,306,072 is growth.
The growth rate is an assumption, not a forecast. Markets fall as well as rise, so treat the result as one path among many and rerun it at a lower rate.
What are the 401(k) contribution limits for 2026 and 2027?
The IRS announced the 2026 figures in news release IR-2025-111 and Notice 2025-67, both dated 13 November 2025, and the 2027 figures in IR-2026-136 and Notice 2026-66 on 12 November 2026. The calculator uses each year's figures as published.
| Limit | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Employee deferral, 402(g) | $24,500 | $25,500 |
| Catch-up at 50 and over | $8,000 | $8,500 |
| Total at 50 and over | $32,500 | $34,000 |
| Higher catch-up at 60, 61, 62 or 63 | $11,250 | $11,750 |
| Total at 60 to 63 | $35,750 | $37,250 |
| All additions, 415(c) | $72,000 | $75,000 |
| Pay that counts, 401(a)(17) | $360,000 | $375,000 |
The deferral limit covers what you put in from your pay; the IRS FAQs on designated Roth accounts apply it to pre-tax and Roth deferrals combined. The 415(c) limit covers your deferrals plus employer money, with catch-up contributions on top. Pay above the compensation limit is ignored for both the deferral percentage and the match. For years after 2027 the calculator holds the 2027 figures flat unless you enter a yearly rise under Start year, future limits and Roth label. A rise you enter is your assumption; the IRS publishes each new year's limits only shortly before that year begins.
How does a 401(k) employer match work?
A match formula has two numbers: the share of your deferral the employer adds, and the slice of pay it applies to. The calculator works it out as match = match % x the lesser of (your deferral, cap % x pay).
With the default 50% up to 6% of a $100,000 salary, the most the employer adds is 50% of $6,000, or $3,000. Defer 3% and you get $1,500; defer 6% or more and you get the full $3,000. That is why deferring 6% and 15% bring the same $142,726 of match over 30 years on the defaults. Remove the match altogether and the default 401(k) ends at $1,845,435, so the match is worth about $340,647 at 65 once its growth is counted.
The formula is plain arithmetic and works the same in any currency. On a £40,000 salary with a 50% match up to 6%, the employer adds £1,200 when you put in at least £2,400, and £800 when you put in 4%, or £1,600. On AED 300,000 the full match is AED 9,000. The IRS limits on this page apply only to US 401(k) plans, in dollars.
If your deferral and the match together go above the 415(c) limit, the calculator trims the match to fit, because employer money counts toward it. That can happen with a generous match on high pay: at $500,000 of salary and a 200% match up to 20%, the 2026 match falls from $49,000 to $47,500.
When does the IRS limit stop my 401(k) contributions?
Your deferral is capped at the lesser of what you choose and the year's limit plus any catch-up. A fixed $30,000 a year at age 40 is cut to $24,500 in 2026; the other $5,500 cannot go into the 401(k). The chart When the IRS limit binds draws the deferral you set as a solid line and the limit as a dashed one, and the schedule marks each capped year.
A percentage of a rising salary eventually meets a limit that does not rise. On the defaults, 15% of pay passes $25,500 at age 53, but by then the catch-up has lifted the limit to $34,000, and from 60 to 63 it is $37,250. At 64 the larger catch-up ends, the limit drops back to $34,000, and 15% of a $235,657 salary is $35,348, so the cap binds that one year.
Defer 20% instead and the limit binds in 18 of the 30 years, starting at 44. Let salary grow 5% a year at 15% and it binds in 17 years from 46. Enter a 2% yearly rise in the limits and the default plan never hits the cap; the balance rises only to $2,187,467, because the cap cost little to begin with. Starting in 2027 instead of 2026 gives the same $2,186,081 on the defaults, because the first year's $15,000 deferral sits under both years' limits.
How do 401(k) catch-up contributions work at 50 and at 60 to 63?
The IRS lets people aged 50 and over defer more. The calculator tests age at 31 December, so the catch-up starts in the calendar year you turn 50. Notice 2025-67 sets the 2026 catch-up at $8,000 and keeps a higher $11,250 for anyone who reaches 60, 61, 62 or 63 during 2026; Notice 2026-66 raises them to $8,500 and $11,750 for 2027. The higher figure replaces the regular catch-up for those four ages rather than adding to it. At 64 the regular catch-up applies again.
The same notices set a Roth catch-up wage threshold. If your wages from the employer in the year before were above $150,000 (for 2026 catch-ups) or $155,000 (for 2027), your catch-up contributions to the plan must be designated Roth. On the default projection your deferral first goes past the regular limit in 2044 at age 53, when the prior year's salary is already above the threshold, so the calculator notes from 2044 that catch-ups must be Roth. It reads salary as wages; the wages your employer uses for this test can differ from salary.
The IRS page on 401(k) contribution limits describes catch-ups as available if the plan permits them. The calculator assumes your plan does; check your plan's summary.
Traditional or Roth 401(k): does it change the result?
Not in this calculator. The IRS deferral limit is shared by pre-tax and Roth deferrals, so the amount that can go in each year is the same, and the employer match follows the same formula. Choosing Roth 401(k) changes only the label on the result.
What differs is when tax is paid: on a traditional deferral, when the money comes out; on a Roth deferral, before it goes in. That depends on your tax rates now and later, which this page does not model. One rule that does differ: IRS Notice 2026-13 confirms that designated Roth accounts in a plan have no required minimum distributions during the owner's life, while pre-tax balances do from age 73 or 75. The RMD calculator works those out.
How salary growth, deferral and the growth rate move a 401(k)
Holding everything else at the defaults, each line below changes one input:
| Change | Balance at 65 | Years capped |
|---|---|---|
| Defaults: 15%, 3% salary growth, 6% growth | $2,186,081 | 1 |
| Growth rate 4% | $1,575,497 | 1 |
| Growth rate 8% | $3,098,298 | 1 |
| Deferral 6% | $1,165,527 | 0 |
| Deferral 10% | $1,619,722 | 0 |
| Deferral 20% | $2,633,399 | 18 |
| Salary growth 0% | $1,605,357 | 0 |
| Salary growth 5% | $2,549,939 | 17 |
| No employer match | $1,845,435 | 1 |
The growth rate moves the result most, because it works on every dollar for decades. Salary growth matters because a percentage deferral and the match both rise with pay, until the IRS limit takes over.
How to calculate a 401(k) balance in Excel or Google Sheets
With no salary growth and no capped years, the projection reduces to Excel's FV function on a monthly rate. On the defaults with salary growth set to 0%, you put in $15,000 and the employer $3,000 each year, or $1,500 a month. The monthly rate is =(1+0.06)^(1/12)-1, about 0.4868%. Then =FV(rate, 360, -1500, -25000) returns $1,605,356.74, matching the calculator's $1,605,357. Google Sheets uses the same FV syntax.
Once salary grows, build one row per year instead. Put salary in column B, the limit for that year in C, and the deferral in D as =MIN(15%*B2, C2). The match is =50%*MIN(D2, 6%*B2). The balance is the previous balance times 1.06, plus the year's deferral and match times 1.027211, the factor that spreads them across twelve monthly deposits. Copy the row down for each year.
What this 401(k) calculator leaves out, and common mistakes
It uses one growth rate for every year, so it cannot show a market fall or the order of returns. It leaves out fund and plan fees unless you net them off the growth rate, vesting schedules for employer money, loans and withdrawals, true-up matches, and after-tax contributions beyond the deferral limit. It does not work out income tax.
- Counting the match on the whole deferral. A formula with a cap stops at a slice of pay, so deferring more than the cap brings no extra match.
- Projecting today's limit as fact. Only 2026 and 2027 are announced; later years are an assumption.
- Missing the 60 to 63 window. The higher catch-up lasts four years, then the limit falls back.
- Ignoring the Roth catch-up rule. Above the wage threshold, catch-ups must go in as Roth.
- Mixing up the two limits. The $24,500 deferral limit is yours; the $72,000 figure covers you and your employer together.
Glossary
Elective deferral: the part of your pay you choose to put into the 401(k). 402(g) limit: the yearly cap on elective deferrals. Catch-up contribution: an extra deferral allowed from the year you turn 50. Employer match: money your employer adds based on what you defer. 415(c) limit: the cap on everything added to your account in a year, excluding catch-ups. Compensation limit: the most pay a plan can count for contributions. Designated Roth account: the Roth part of a 401(k), funded with after-tax deferrals. Vesting: the schedule on which employer money becomes yours to keep.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?
$24,500 of employee deferrals, according to IRS news release IR-2025-111 and Notice 2025-67. People aged 50 and over can add an $8,000 catch-up, and those who reach 60 to 63 during 2026 can add $11,250 instead.
What is the 401(k) limit for 2027?
The IRS announced on 12 November 2026 that the deferral limit rises to $25,500 for 2027. The catch-up at 50 and over becomes $8,500, and the catch-up for ages 60 to 63 becomes $11,750.
Does the employer match count toward the $24,500 limit?
No. The deferral limit covers only what you put in from your pay. Employer money counts toward the separate 415(c) limit on total additions, which is $72,000 for 2026 and $75,000 for 2027.
How is a 50% match up to 6% worked out?
The employer adds half of what you defer, but only on deferrals up to 6% of pay. On a $100,000 salary the most it adds is $3,000, reached when you defer $6,000 or more.
What is the age 60 to 63 catch-up?
A higher catch-up for people who reach age 60, 61, 62 or 63 during the year. It is $11,250 for 2026 and $11,750 for 2027, and it replaces the regular catch-up for those years. From 64 the regular catch-up applies again.
Do catch-up contributions have to be Roth?
They must be designated Roth when your wages from the employer in the previous year were above the threshold: $150,000 of 2025 wages for 2026 catch-ups and $155,000 of 2026 wages for 2027, under Notices 2025-67 and 2026-66.
How much will my 401(k) be worth at 65?
It depends on your inputs. A 35-year-old on $100,000 deferring 15% with a 50% match up to 6% of pay, a $25,000 start, 3% raises and 6% growth reaches about $2,186,081 at 65.
Does the calculator project future IRS limits?
Only if you ask it to. It uses the announced 2026 and 2027 limits, then holds the 2027 figures flat. You can enter a yearly rise instead, which the schedule marks as not announced.
Is a Roth 401(k) calculated differently?
Not here. Roth and pre-tax deferrals share one limit and the match uses the same formula, so the balance is the same. The difference is when tax is paid, which this calculator does not model.
Why does a higher deferral not raise my match?
A match formula with a cap stops at a percentage of pay. With a 6% cap, deferring 10% or 15% brings the same match as deferring 6%; the extra goes in as your own money only.
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Last reviewed 14 November 2026 by the NIFM Academy editorial team. Next review by 31 October 2027.
United States, tax year 2026. Next review by 31 October 2027.
- IRS news release IR-2025-111, 401(k) limit increases to 24,500 dollars for 2026, IRA limit increases to 7,500 dollars, 13 November 2025, 2026: 401(k) elective deferral limit 24,500; catch-up at 50 and over 8,000; higher catch-up for ages 60 to 63 remains 11,250; IRA limit 7,500; IRA catch-up 1,100; Roth IRA phase-out 153,000 to 168,000 single and head of household, 242,000 to 252,000 married filing jointly, 0 to 10,000 married filing separately. Checked 14 November 2026.
- IRS Notice 2025-67, 2026 Amounts Relating to Retirement Plans and IRAs, as Adjusted for Changes in Cost-of-Living, 2026: section 402(g)(1) limit 24,500; section 415(c)(1)(A) defined contribution limit 72,000; section 401(a)(17) compensation limit 360,000; section 414(v)(2)(B)(i) catch-up 8,000; section 414(v)(2)(E)(i) catch-up for those who attain 60, 61, 62 or 63 in 2026 remains 11,250; Roth catch-up wage threshold for 2025 wages 150,000; IRA deductible amount 7,500 plus 1,100 at 50; Roth IRA phase-out ranges as in IR-2025-111. Checked 14 November 2026.
- IRS news release IR-2026-136, 401(k) limit increases to 25,500 dollars for 2027, IRA limit remains 7,500 dollars, 12 November 2026, 2027: 401(k) limit 25,500; catch-up at 50 and over 8,500; catch-up for ages 60 to 63 11,750; IRA limit remains 7,500; IRA catch-up remains 1,100; Roth IRA phase-out 158,000 to 173,000 single and head of household, 250,000 to 260,000 married filing jointly, 0 to 10,000 married filing separately. Checked 14 November 2026.
- IRS Notice 2026-66, 2027 Amounts Relating to Retirement Plans and IRAs, as Adjusted for Changes in Cost-of-Living, 2027: section 415(c)(1)(A) limit 75,000; section 402(g)(1) limit 25,500; catch-up 8,500; catch-up for those who attain 60 to 63 in 2027 11,750; Roth catch-up wage threshold for 2026 wages 155,000; section 401(a)(17) compensation limit 375,000; Roth IRA phase-out ranges as in IR-2026-136. Checked 14 November 2026.
- IRS Publication 590-A (2025), Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements, Worksheet 2-2 and Table 2-1, reduced Roth IRA limit: (modified AGI - start of range) / range width as a decimal rounded to at least three places, capped at 1.000; multiply by the lesser of the dollar limit or taxable compensation and subtract; round the result up to the nearest 10 dollars and enter 200 if it is less than 200; take the lesser of that and the limit less contributions to other IRAs. Married filing separately and not living with the spouse uses the single range. Contributions can be made regardless of age. Checked 14 November 2026.
- IRS Publication 590-B (2025), Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements, Appendix B Table III (Uniform Lifetime), applicable denominators from 27.4 at age 72 to 2.0 at 120 and over; the RMD for 2026 is the account balance at the end of 2025 divided by the denominator for the age reached in 2026, for example 100,000 / 24.6 = 4,065 at age 75; use Table II instead when the sole beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger; first RMD by 1 April of the year after the year you reach age 73, later RMDs by 31 December. Checked 14 November 2026.
- IRS Notice 2026-13, explanations for eligible rollover distributions under section 402(f), section II.B.2, under section 401(a)(9)(C)(v) the applicable age is 73 for an individual who attains age 72 after 31 December 2022 and age 73 before 1 January 2033, and 75 for an individual who attains age 74 after 31 December 2032; the required beginning date is 1 April of the year after the later of the year the applicable age is reached or the year the employee retires; no lifetime RMDs from a designated Roth account in a plan. Checked 14 November 2026.
- IRS Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-33, REG-103529-23, Required Minimum Distributions (proposed regulations published in the Federal Register on 19 July 2024), the 2024 final regulations reserve section 1.401(a)(9)-2(b)(2)(v) because section 401(a)(9)(C)(v) gives both 73 and 75 for employees born in 1959; the proposed paragraph reads: in the case of an employee born in 1959, the applicable age is age 73. Checked 14 November 2026.
- IRS, Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs, last reviewed 29 January 2026, Roth IRAs and designated Roth accounts have no RMDs while the owner is alive; workplace plan participants can delay RMDs until the year they retire unless they are a 5% owner; missed RMDs can face a 25% excise tax, 10% if corrected within two years; IRA RMDs are figured separately for each IRA but can be withdrawn from one or more of them; 401(k) RMDs are taken separately from each plan. Checked 14 November 2026.
- IRS, Retirement topics, 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits, last reviewed 8 April 2026, 2026 deferral limit 24,500; catch-up for those 50 or over at the end of the calendar year, if permitted by the plan, 8,000, or 11,250 at 60 to 63; total additions 72,000 excluding catch-ups; compensation limit 360,000. Checked 14 November 2026.
- IRS, Retirement plans FAQs on designated Roth accounts, last reviewed 2 August 2026, the deferral limit applies to the combined amount contributed to designated Roth and traditional pre-tax accounts in a year. Checked 14 November 2026.