Project your 401(k) balance with salary growth and an employer match.
Contributing 10% of an $80,000 salary (growing 3% a year) with a 50% employer match up to 6% and a 7% return grows to about $2,215,859.77 by age 65.
A 401(k) is a US workplace retirement plan. Enter your age, retirement age, salary, salary growth, contribution percentage and your employer's match, and the calculator projects the balance year by year. It also applies the 2026 IRS limit of $24,500 (plus $8,000 catch-up from age 50).
Always contribute enough to get the full employer match — it is an immediate return. Compare account types with the Roth IRA Calculator and IRA Calculator; plan withdrawals with the RMD Calculator and Social Security Calculator.
The calculator applies the standard financial formulas step by step.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Years to retirement | 35 |
| Your total contributions | $483,696.65 |
| Employer match total | $145,109.00 |
| Investment growth | $1,577,054.12 |
| Balance at retirement | $2,215,859.77 |
| 2026 employee limit | $24,500.00 |
| Age at year end | Your contribution | Employer match | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | $8,000.00 | $2,400.00 | $21,429.59 |
| 32 | $8,240.00 | $2,472.00 | $33,981.14 |
| 33 | $8,487.20 | $2,546.16 | $47,742.84 |
| 34 | $8,741.82 | $2,622.54 | $62,809.36 |
| 35 | $9,004.07 | $2,701.22 | $79,282.26 |
| 36 | $9,274.19 | $2,782.26 | $97,270.55 |
| 37 | $9,552.42 | $2,865.73 | $116,891.19 |
| 38 | $9,838.99 | $2,951.70 | $138,269.61 |
| 39 | $10,134.16 | $3,040.25 | $161,540.41 |
| 40 | $10,438.19 | $3,131.46 | $186,847.92 |
| 41 | $10,751.33 | $3,225.40 | $214,346.95 |
| 42 | $11,073.87 | $3,322.16 | $244,203.50 |
| 43 | $11,406.09 | $3,421.83 | $276,595.57 |
| 44 | $11,748.27 | $3,524.48 | $311,714.03 |
| 45 | $12,100.72 | $3,630.22 | $349,763.48 |
| 46 | $12,463.74 | $3,739.12 | $390,963.28 |
| 47 | $12,837.65 | $3,851.30 | $435,548.55 |
| 48 | $13,222.78 | $3,966.83 | $483,771.33 |
| 49 | $13,619.46 | $4,085.84 | $535,901.73 |
| 50 | $14,028.05 | $4,208.41 | $592,229.26 |
| 51 | $14,448.89 | $4,334.67 | $653,064.14 |
| 52 | $14,882.36 | $4,464.71 | $718,738.83 |
| 53 | $15,328.83 | $4,598.65 | $789,609.55 |
| 54 | $15,788.69 | $4,736.61 | $866,058.00 |
| 55 | $16,262.35 | $4,878.71 | $948,493.10 |
| 56 | $16,750.22 | $5,025.07 | $1,037,353.00 |
| 57 | $17,252.73 | $5,175.82 | $1,133,107.05 |
| 58 | $17,770.31 | $5,331.09 | $1,236,258.07 |
| 59 | $18,303.42 | $5,491.03 | $1,347,344.66 |
| 60 | $18,852.52 | $5,655.76 | $1,466,943.77 |
| 61 | $19,418.10 | $5,825.43 | $1,595,673.37 |
| 62 | $20,000.64 | $6,000.19 | $1,734,195.35 |
| 63 | $20,600.66 | $6,180.20 | $1,883,218.60 |
| 64 | $21,218.68 | $6,365.60 | $2,043,502.38 |
| 65 | $21,855.24 | $6,556.57 | $2,215,859.77 |
| Case | Balance |
|---|---|
| Contribute 5% | $1,323,550.79 |
| Contribute 10% | $2,215,859.77 |
| Contribute 15% | $3,026,757.93 |
| Return 5% | $1,492,196.67 |
| Retire at 60 | $1,466,943.77 |
$24,500, with an additional $8,000 catch-up for those 50 or older.
Money your employer adds to your 401(k) based on your contribution, for example 50% of what you put in up to 6% of your salary.
At least enough to receive the full employer match; many planners suggest 10–15% of income including the match.
Traditional 401(k) contributions are pre-tax and taxed on withdrawal; Roth 401(k) contributions are after-tax with tax-free qualified withdrawals.
Use a cautious long-run figure; markets are uncertain. The example uses 7%.
Withdrawals before 59½ usually face a 10% penalty plus tax, with some exceptions.
It uses the standard formula: balanceₜ = balanceₜ₋₁ × (1 + r)¹² + monthly contribution × ((1 + r)¹² − 1) ÷ r The full method and a worked example are shown on this page.
No. The calculator gives estimates for planning and learning. Real offers vary by lender, product and date, so confirm the details with your bank, lender or a qualified adviser before deciding.
Yes. The maths is identical in any currency; only the currency symbol shown in the results differs.
No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing you enter is uploaded or saved.
