Calculator
401(k) calculator
Project a 401(k) to retirement including the employer match — and see how much of the final balance is money your employer put in rather than you.
If your contribution percentage is below the match cap, the "match left on the table" row is money your employer has offered you and you are declining. There is no investment anywhere that beats an instant 50% or 100% return. Contributing at least up to the cap comes before paying down almost any debt and before any other investing decision.
How this is calculated
- Contributions are made monthly from salary; salary rises once a year by the raise rate.
- The employer match is
min(your rate, cap) × match rate × salary, applied on the same schedule. - Balances compound monthly at the annual return divided by twelve.
- The real figure divides the nominal balance by
(1 + inflation)years. - IRS annual contribution limits are not enforced, so a very high contribution percentage on a high salary can exceed what the law allows. Vesting schedules, loans, and fees inside the plan are not modelled either — plan fees in particular can be significant.
- Withdrawals from a traditional 401(k) are taxed as ordinary income. This projection shows the pre-tax balance.
The employer share is the point
Look at the last row, and note what it counts: not just what your employer paid in, but that money plus everything it earned over the decades. On the default figures those contributions total about $109,000 — yet by retirement they are worth roughly $297,000, more than a fifth of the whole balance and slightly more than everything you contributed yourself. That is compensation you have already earned; the only question is whether you claim it.
Two things to check in your own plan document that this calculator cannot know. The vesting schedule — employer contributions may not be fully yours until you have been there several years, which matters if you expect to move. And whether the match is per-paycheck or annual; with a per-paycheck match, front-loading your contributions early in the year can accidentally cut you off from later matching.
Common questions
How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?
At an absolute minimum, enough to capture the full employer match, because that is an immediate return on your money that nothing else matches. Beyond that the right number depends on your other goals, your tax bracket now versus in retirement, and whether you have high-interest debt. The calculator shows what each contribution level produces so you can compare.
What does a 50% match up to 6% actually mean?
Your employer adds 50 cents for every dollar you contribute, but only counts contributions up to 6% of your salary. So contributing 6% earns the maximum match of 3% of salary; contributing 10% still earns only 3%, because the match stops at the 6% cap.
Does this include the IRS contribution limit?
No. The calculator does not enforce annual IRS limits, so a high percentage on a high salary may project contributions above what is legally permitted. Check the current year's limit before setting your contribution rate.
Why is the real balance so much lower than the nominal one?
Because inflation compounds over the same decades your investments do. Over 28 years at 2.5% inflation, prices roughly double, so the purchasing power of the final balance is about half the headline figure. Both numbers are correct; the real one is the one that tells you what kind of retirement it funds.
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