401(k) Calculator

Estimate the 2026 deferral, employer match, and growth under the IRS cap. An estimate, not tax or plan advice.

Salary ($) *

Age at the end of 2026 *

Employee deferral (%) *

Tier 1 match (%)

Tier 1, up to % of pay

Tier 2 match (%)

Tier 2, next % of pay

Current balance ($)

Annual return (%) *

Years *

Smart Tips

• Tier 2 is the next slice of pay, not a second cap that restarts at zero. 100% of the first 3% plus 50% of the next 2% is a common shape.

• The elective cap is $24,500. Age 50 or older adds $8,000. Ages 60 through 63 add $11,250 instead.

• Pay above $360,000 is left out of the percent and the match. The $72,000 annual-additions limit does not include the catch-up.

• The projection adds the same dollar contribution at the end of each year. It does not raise your salary.

The Formula

Deferral = min(pay × percent, 2026 cap)

Pay Counted compensation
Salary, at most $360,000

Cap Elective deferral plus catch-up
$24,500, $32,500, or $35,750

Match Tier dollars, then the additions cap
Regular deferral + match ≤ lesser of pay or $72,000

Future End-of-year contributions
Balance × (1 + r) ^ n + contribution × ((1 + r) ^ n − 1) ÷ r

A 100% match on the first 3% of $100,000, plus 50% on the next 2%, is $3,000 + $1,000 when the employee defers at least 5%. Catch-up contributions are not counted in the $72,000 annual-additions limit. The projection does not earn a return on a contribution in the year it is added.

Key Insights

Salary, not a dollar guess

The deferral starts as a percent of pay, then the IRS cap cuts it.

Two match bands

Each band is a percent of pay and a match rate on the deferral inside that band.

Age changes the cap

The higher catch-up is only for ages 60, 61, 62, and 63 at year-end 2026.

One employer

Elective deferrals at a second unrelated employer are not combined here.

2026 limits used on this page

Limit	Amount
Elective deferral	$24,500
Catch-up, age 50 or older	$8,000
Catch-up, age 60 to 63	$11,250 instead of $8,000
Annual additions	Lesser of pay or $72,000, catch-up excluded
Compensation counted	$360,000

Frequently Asked Questions

The elective deferral limit is $24,500. Someone age 50 or older at the end of 2026 can defer another $8,000, for $32,500. Someone age 60, 61, 62, or 63 uses $11,250 of catch-up instead, for $35,750. These are the figures in IRS news release IR-2025-111.

Tier 1 matches a percent of the deferral that falls in the first slice of pay. Tier 2 matches a percent of the deferral in the next slice. On $100,000 of pay, 100% of the first 3% plus 50% of the next 2% is a $4,000 match if you defer at least $5,000.

Annual additions for 2026 cannot exceed the lesser of counted pay or $72,000. That total includes the regular deferral and the employer match, and it excludes catch-up contributions. This page trims the match if the sum would pass that limit. It also ignores pay above the $360,000 compensation limit.

No. Salary, your percent, and the match stay at this year's dollars. Contributions are added at the end of each year, so a contribution does not earn the year's return. Taxes on a later withdrawal are not subtracted.

Beginning in 2026, some plans must put catch-up contributions in Roth if prior-year wages from that employer were high enough. This page does not test that wage rule or split pre-tax and Roth dollars. It only applies the dollar cap. This is an estimate, not tax or plan advice.

Tax year 2026 dollar limits come from IRS news release IR-2025-111 (13 November 2025), which points to Notice 2025-67, and from COLA increases for dollar limitations on benefits and contributions. Elective deferrals are $24,500. The age-50 catch-up is $8,000. The age 60–63 catch-up is $11,250. Annual additions are the lesser of compensation or $72,000, excluding catch-up. Compensation counted is limited to $360,000. As of 14 October 2026, the IRS had not published 2027 retirement plan dollar limitations, so this page stays on 2026.

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Projected balance

Enter values to calculate

Your 2026 deferral

Employer match

Note:This is an estimate for tax year 2026, not tax advice and not a plan statement. It uses one employer, a flat salary, and the match tiers you type. A plan can set a lower cap. Catch-up dollars are not tested here for the Roth catch-up wage rule.