401(k) calculator with employer match
Your 401(k) at retirement with your employer’s match and the IRS limits, and what contributing less than the full match costs you.
Your numbers
Share of salary.
Of each dollar you put in.
Share of salary.
Before inflation, after fees.
Result
Your 401(k) at 65
$416,152
Today’s dollars.
You’re leaving $750 of match on the table this year. Contributing 6.0% gets all of it, and $591,031 at 65.
- You put in this year
- $3,000
- Your employer adds
- $1,500
- Your contributions to retirement
- $124,981
- Employer match to retirement
- $62,490
| Age | As entered | With the full match |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | $20,000 | $20,000 |
| 33 | $37,199 | $44,462 |
| 36 | $56,108 | $71,624 |
| 39 | $77,474 | $102,344 |
| 42 | $101,571 | $137,021 |
| 45 | $128,704 | $176,095 |
| 48 | $159,208 | $220,054 |
| 51 | $193,456 | $269,438 |
| 54 | $231,860 | $324,845 |
| 57 | $274,876 | $386,938 |
| 60 | $323,010 | $456,449 |
| 63 | $376,821 | $534,191 |
| 65 | $416,152 | $591,031 |
RetirementPace is an educational tool, not financial, tax or legal advice. RetirementPace is not a registered investment adviser.
Track whether you stay on pace
A calculator answers today. Pace is whether you’re still on track next month and next year. Save this as a plan in the free planner (it stays in your browser), and soon record your real balances each month to see if you’re ahead or behind.
How it works
Each year until you retire, you contribute your share of salary and your employer adds its match on your contributions up to the limit you enter. Your contributions are held to the IRS limit for the year, plus the catch-up once you are 50 (the higher one at 60 to 63), and the match is cut back if the two together would pass the overall limit. These are the same rules the planner uses; years the IRS has not published yet are indexed for inflation.
The balance grows at the return you enter, with each year’s contributions added through the year. Salary, contributions and the balance are shown in today’s dollars.
Worked example
A 30-year-old earning $75,000 who contributes 4% to a plan matching 50% of the first 6% puts in $3,000 this year and gets $1,500 of match, leaving $750 unclaimed. At 6% a year that comes to $416,152 by 65 in today’s dollars, against $591,031 contributing 6%.
Questions
How does an employer match work?
Your employer adds money to your 401(k) based on what you put in. "50% of the first 6%" means that for every dollar you contribute, up to 6% of your pay, your employer adds 50 cents: contribute 6% and you get 3% of pay on top. Contribute 4% and you get 2%; the other 1% is left on the table.
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?
$24,500 of your own contributions, traditional and Roth together. From the year you turn 50 you can add a catch-up of $8,000, or $11,250 in the years you turn 60 to 63. Your contributions and your employer’s together are capped at $72,000, not counting catch-ups.
Does the match count toward my own limit?
No. The employee limit covers only what you put in. The match counts toward the separate, higher limit on everything that goes into the account in a year.
What about vesting?
Many plans make the match yours gradually, over several years of service. Leave before it is fully vested and you keep only the vested part. This calculator assumes all of it vests.
Traditional or Roth 401(k)?
The limits and the match work the same way. A traditional contribution lowers your tax now and is taxed when withdrawn; a Roth contribution is taxed now and comes out tax-free later. This calculator shows the balance, which is pre-tax for a traditional 401(k).