401(k) Calculator
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About 401(k) Math
The 401(k) is where most American retirement saving actually happens — payroll-automated, tax-advantaged, and often matched. The match is the headline: a typical “50% up to 6%” formula is an instant 50% return on those dollars, unavailable anywhere else in finance, and roughly a quarter of participants still leave some of it on the table.
Enter your salary, contribution percent, and the match formula from your plan documents (rate and cap), plus current balance, assumed return, and years. You get the projected balance, the yearly free-money figure, the three-way split (yours / match / growth), and the below-cap warning if it applies.
Federal employee? Your version has its own five-part match — the TSP Calculator
Contribution + Match + Growth
Three streams, one future value:
Yours = salary × your % Match = salary × min(your %, cap %) × match rate FV = (balance)(1+r)ⁿ + monthly total × ((1+r)ⁿ − 1) ÷ r
Worked example: $80,000 salary, 6% contribution, 50%-up-to-6% match, $10,000 balance, 7% for 30 years → about $813,000, built from $154,000 of yours, $72,000 of employer match, and $587,000 of growth. The match alone compounds into six figures of the outcome.
What the Match Is Worth
A 50%-up-to-6% match on an $80,000 salary, compounded at 7% — the cost of under-contributing:
| You contribute | Match captured/yr | Match's 30-yr value | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | $1,200 (half missed) | ≈ $147,000 | Leaving $1,200/yr unclaimed |
| 6% | $2,400 (full) | ≈ $294,000 | Full match captured |
| 10% | $2,400 (capped) | ≈ $294,000 | Extra 4% grows unmatched |
The middle row is the universal minimum: whatever else your budget decides, contributing to the match cap is the highest-return money move most employees will ever have available.
Limits, Vesting & Fine Print
The IRS caps employee contributions annually (with a higher catch-up allowance from age 50) and adjusts both figures most years — which is why this calculator tells you to check the current limit instead of embedding one that goes stale. High earners hit the cap before high percentages; the math here assumes your percent stays within whatever the current limit allows.
Vesting is the match's asterisk: YOUR contributions are always yours, but employer match may vest over several years — leave early and the unvested portion stays behind, a real number to check before job-hopping. Traditional-vs-Roth 401(k) chooses when taxes hit (now vs at withdrawal) without changing this calculator's growth math; fees inside plan funds subtract directly from the return you assume.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?
Floor: the match cap — a 50%-up-to-6% plan makes 6% non-negotiable (instant 50% return). Common guidance targets 10–15% of salary including match for on-track retirement saving; the calculator shows what your number compounds into.
What does '50% match up to 6%' actually mean?
For every dollar of the first 6% of salary you contribute, the employer adds 50 cents. On $80,000: contribute $4,800 (6%) and receive $2,400 free. Contribute 3% and the match halves; contribute 10% and it stays $2,400 — the cap binds.
What is the 401(k) contribution limit?
The IRS sets a dollar cap on employee contributions and raises it most years (with an extra catch-up allowance from 50). This calculator deliberately doesn't hardcode a figure that would go stale — check irs.gov's current-year limit; employer match sits outside the employee cap.
Traditional or Roth 401(k)?
Same growth math, different tax timing: traditional deducts now and taxes withdrawals; Roth taxes now and withdraws tax-free. Rule of thumb — Roth when you expect higher future tax rates (often early-career), traditional when current rates bite hardest. Splitting hedges the guess.
What happens to my 401(k) when I change jobs?
Your contributions and vested match travel — roll to the new plan or an IRA (direct rollovers avoid withholding traps). Unvested match is forfeited, so check your vesting date before timing a departure; cashing out early adds taxes plus penalty and vaporizes the compounding this page projects.
Why does the projection assume monthly compounding?
Because that's how contributions actually arrive — per paycheck, invested as they land. Each month's deposit compounds from its own start date, which the future-value-of-annuity formula models exactly. Annual-compounding calculators run slightly low for the same assumptions.
Sources & References
- [1]401(k) Plan Overview / Retirement Topics — Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Methodology. This calculator uses standard financial formulas used across the industry. It is reviewed and maintained by the Vast Calculators editorial team.
Last updated · July 11, 2026
Disclaimer. This tool provides estimates for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making decisions about your finances.