401(k) Growth Calculator
Project what your 401(k) could be worth at retirement. Enter your current balance, salary, contribution rate, and employer match, and the calculator compounds annual contributions at your assumed return. The 2026 employee contribution limit is $24,500 ($8,000 catch-up at 50+).
Note: your contribution exceeds the 2026 employee limit of $24,500; the projection caps it at that limit.
| Projected balance | $0 |
| Total you contributed | $0 |
| Total employer match | $0 |
| Investment growth | $0 |
Uses the 2026 IRS employee deferral limit of $24,500. Assumes contributions are made annually, returns compound once per year, and salary stays constant. Estimates only, not investment advice.
About this estimate
The projection uses a deliberately simple model so you can see what drives the outcome. Each year it adds your contribution (salary times your percentage, capped at the $24,500 employee deferral limit the IRS set for 2026) and your employer's match, then grows the whole balance once at your assumed return. Salary is held constant, so the projection understates results for anyone whose contributions rise with raises, and returns are applied as a steady annual rate — real markets deliver the same average through much bumpier year-to-year swings.
Several things are intentionally left out. Catch-up contributions are not modeled, even though savers 50 and older can defer an extra $8,000 in 2026 (and those turning 60 through 63 can defer $11,250 where the plan allows it). The $72,000 overall cap on combined employee and employer additions, plan fees, match vesting schedules, and inflation are also excluded — the result is in today's-dollar contributions but future-dollar purchasing power. Limits come from the IRS 2026 cost-of-living announcement; the source URLs are kept alongside the data in the site repository.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?
The employee elective deferral limit is $24,500 for 2026, up from $23,500 in 2025. Combined employee and employer contributions are capped at $72,000.
How much can I contribute if I am 50 or older?
Workers age 50 and up can add a catch-up contribution of $8,000 in 2026, on top of the $24,500 base limit. If you turn 60 through 63 during the year and your plan allows it, a larger catch-up of $11,250 replaces the standard one.
Does the employer match count against my limit?
No. Your employer's match does not reduce your $24,500 employee limit. Match dollars count only toward the overall $72,000 cap on total annual additions.
What return rate should I assume?
Long-run diversified stock portfolios have historically averaged around 7% to 10% per year before inflation, but there are no guarantees. Many planners model 5% to 7% to stay conservative. Try a few rates to see the range of outcomes.
Further reading: 401(k) basics for 2026 — limits, match mechanics, traditional vs. Roth, and why early dollars dominate the outcome.