CalcuOnline
Retirement & Investment

401(k) Retirement Contribution Calculator

Project your 401(k) balance at retirement, including employer match, salary growth, and the annual IRS contribution limit.

Formula reviewed against standard compound-growth projection formulas and 2026 IRS 401(k) contribution limits · Last checked Aug 2026 · methodology
Formula

How the projection is calculated

Bₙ = Bₙ₋₁ × (1 + r) + Cₑ + Cₘ
BₙAccount balance at the end of year n
rExpected annual return, as a decimal
CₑYour contribution that year — salary × contribution %, capped at the annual IRS limit
CₘEmployer match that year, applied only up to the matchable percentage of salary
Worked example

$75,000 salary, 10% contribution, 50% match up to 6%

A 30-year-old earning $75,000 who contributes 10% of salary ($7,500/year) gets a 50% match on the first 6% of salary ($4,500), so the employer adds $2,250. With a 3% annual raise and a 7% average return, contributing until age 65 grows a $15,000 starting balance into roughly $1.4M — of which the employer match alone contributes well over $150,000 before its own growth is counted.

FAQ

Common questions

Most plans match a percentage of what you contribute, up to a cap expressed as a percent of your salary. For example, "50% match up to 6%" means your employer adds $0.50 for every $1 you contribute, but only on the first 6% of your salary that you defer. Contributing beyond that 6% still grows your own balance, just without additional matching dollars.

Related tools