Calculator
401(k) calculator
Estimate an employee deferral, a simple employer match, and the 2026 IRS deferral cap, then project the balance at a constant return.
The projection adds the employee deferral and the match every month and compounds at the rate you type. It assumes the salary, the percent, and the match formula never change, and that you stay under any plan-specific limit. Raises, a missed month, and a vesting schedule are not in the line. Vesting matters: a match you would lose by leaving is not the same as a match you can take.
Educational match arithmetic using 2026 IRS employee caps. Not a plan statement and not tax advice.
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Questions
Which limits are built in?
The 2026 employee elective deferral of $24,500, the $8,000 catch-up at age 50 and older, and the $11,250 catch-up at ages 60 through 63. Those figures are from IRS IR-2025-111. The overall 415(c) additions limit and after-tax contributions are not applied. A plan can also cap pay that counts toward a match. This tool does not know your plan.
How is the match calculated?
Employer dollars equal the match rate times the portion of your deferral that falls inside the percent-of-pay window. A 50% match up to 6% of a $100,000 salary is $3,000 if you defer at least $6,000. If you defer 3%, the match is 50% of $3,000, or $1,500. Dollars above the IRS deferral cap are not contributed and are not matched here.