401k Calculator & Guide
Estimate how your current 401(k) balance, contributions, employer matching, investment growth and salary increases could affect your retirement savings.
Enter your current retirement savings and assumptions to create an illustrative projection through your selected retirement age.
The calculator projects your account year by year using your balance, contributions, employer match, salary growth and assumed investment return.
Your current 401(k) balance becomes the starting point of the projection.
Your salary and contribution percentage determine the annual employee contribution subject to the modeled limit.
The selected employer match and salary cap are applied to estimate employer contributions.
The hypothetical annual return is applied to the account balance each year.
See what your projected balance could represent using the withdrawal rate entered above.
The calculator multiplies the projected balance by your selected withdrawal rate.
Explore retirement income →The annual illustrative income is divided by 12 to provide a monthly planning figure.
Explore income sources →Inflation is used to translate the projected balance into an estimated present-dollar value.
Explore retirement savings →Compare your desired retirement income with the illustrative income supported by the projected balance.
This figure updates automatically when you change your assumptions.
The calculator uses the standard 2026 employee elective-deferral limit for its base projection.
| Rule | 2026 amount | Calculator treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Employee elective deferral | $24,500 | Used as the standard annual employee contribution cap. |
| Age 50+ catch-up | $8,000 | Not automatically included. |
| Higher catch-up ages 60–63 | $11,250 | Not automatically included. |
| Plan restrictions | May apply | Actual plan rules can differ from this model. |
Use the 401k.blog calculator cluster for different retirement planning scenarios.
Estimate annual, monthly and per-paycheck contributions.
Open calculator →Retirement planning involves more than one account or calculation.
Explore retirement savings and income planning topics.
Retirement planning →Learn how retirement expenses and income sources affect your goal.
Read guide →Learn about RMD rules and retirement distribution planning.
Explore RMDs →Common questions about retirement projections.
Explore 401(k) calculators, contribution guides, Roth 401(k) resources and retirement planning topics on 401k.blog.
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