401(k) Calculator — Project Your Retirement Balance

What this 401(k) Calculator does

This English-language 401k estimator calculator projects the future value of your U.S. 401(k) account from today to retirement, accounting for your current balance, salary, contribution rate, employer match, salary growth, and expected annual return. Most online calculators apply the employer match to your entire contribution — but real plans cap the match at a percentage of salary (for example, '50% match up to 6% of pay'). Getting that cap wrong can make your projection look $100,000+ rosier than reality. This tool models it correctly, then breaks the final balance into three components: your contributions, your employer's match, and market growth. It also shows an indicative monthly withdrawal based on the ISO 8601-agnostic Bengen 4% safe-withdrawal rule. 100% client-side — your data never leaves your browser. No uploads, no tracking, no server logs.

Features

Accurate employer-match cap. Models the match cap as a percentage of salary, not of your contribution. A '100% match up to 4% of salary' plan is capped at 4% of pay regardless of how much you contribute — this calculator reflects that correctly.
Three-way balance breakdown. The projected retirement balance is split into your contributions, total employer match, and investment growth, so you can see exactly how much of the final number you earned, received as free money, and gained from compounding.
4% safe-withdrawal estimate. Converts your projected balance into an indicative monthly withdrawal using the Bengen (1994) / Trinity Study 4% rule — useful for a quick retirement income sanity check alongside a Social Security benefit estimate.
Salary growth modeling. Annual salary grows at the rate you specify, so both your contributions and employer match step up each year — a more realistic picture than locking salary flat for 30 years.
Real-return support for inflation adjustment. The tool doesn't bake in an inflation assumption. Input a real return (nominal minus expected inflation) to get inflation-adjusted projections, or use nominal returns to see raw dollar growth.
Scenario comparison. Adjust any single input — contribution rate, retirement age, expected return — and the projection updates instantly. Compare '10% contribution vs 15%' or 'retire at 60 vs 65' without leaving the page.

How to use the 401(k) Calculator

Enter your details from top to bottom. Every field has a sensible default so you can get a rough projection in under a minute.

Enter your age and retirement target. Set your current age and the age you plan to retire. The difference is your accumulation window — even a few extra years of compounding can shift the balance significantly.
Enter your balance and salary. Your current 401(k) balance is the starting point. Annual salary drives both your contribution dollar amount and the employer match calculation each year.
Set your contribution rate and employer match. Enter your contribution as a percentage of salary (e.g. 6). Then enter your employer's match rate (e.g. 50 for 50 cents per dollar) and the salary cap (e.g. 6 if the match applies only up to 6% of pay). If your plan has no cap, set the cap equal to or above your contribution rate.
Set return and growth assumptions. The S&P 500 has returned roughly 7% annually after inflation over long periods. Use a lower figure (4–5%) for a conservative real-return projection, or a higher nominal figure (8–10%) if you prefer to model pre-inflation dollars.
Read the breakdown. The results show your projected balance split into three parts, plus the 4% rule monthly withdrawal estimate. Adjust any input and compare — for detailed compound-growth math, our [compound interest calculator](/en/compound-interest-calculator/) covers the underlying mechanics.

Common use cases

First-job employees setting a contribution rate. A 25-year-old in Chicago starting at $65,000 can use this 401k planner to see that contributing 6% (enough to capture full employer match) versus 3% can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars at retirement — making the case for capturing every dollar of 'free money' before any other investment decision.
Mid-career workers running a retirement estimator. Someone at 45 with $180,000 saved can model whether they're on track for their target balance, or whether they need to increase their contribution rate or push back their retirement age. The three-way breakdown shows how much of the gap is recoverable through contributions versus market growth.
Comparing early vs standard retirement scenarios. FIRE-community planning often means comparing retirement at 50 vs 60. This 401k withdrawal calculator shows the projected balance at each age alongside the 4% monthly estimate — useful paired with our [Investment ROI Calculator](/en/investment-roi-calculator/) for modeling taxable accounts alongside your 401(k).
Evaluating a job offer with a different match structure. Two offers with identical salaries but different match structures (dollar-for-dollar up to 4% vs 50% up to 8%) can produce very different lifetime values. Enter both scenarios to see the 30-year dollar difference.
Pre-retirement planning alongside other income sources. Use this 401 retirement calculator to get a 401(k) estimate, then combine it with a Social Security benefit projection and any pension or IRA assets to build a complete retirement income picture.

Frequently asked questions

Does this calculator store my salary or balance data?

No. The tool runs entirely in your browser with no server communication. Nothing you enter is transmitted, stored, or logged. You can verify this by opening your browser's network tab while using the calculator — you'll see zero outbound requests tied to your inputs.

What's the difference between the match rate and the match cap?

The match rate is how many cents your employer contributes per dollar you contribute (e.g. 50%). The match cap is the ceiling, expressed as a percentage of your salary, beyond which no additional match is paid. A '50% match up to 6% of salary' plan means the maximum employer contribution is 3% of your salary per year — regardless of whether you contribute 6%, 10%, or the IRS maximum. Conflating these two numbers is the most common reason people overestimate their projected retirement balance.

What return rate should I use?

The S&P 500 has historically returned roughly 10% nominally and ~7% after inflation over long periods. For a conservative real-return projection, 5–6% is a common default. Note that return assumptions matter enormously: 6% vs 8% over 30 years can roughly double the final balance. If you want inflation-adjusted dollars, subtract your expected inflation rate from the nominal return and enter that as your 'real' return.

What are the 2024 IRS 401(k) contribution limits?

For 2024, the employee elective deferral limit is $23,000. Workers aged 50 and older can contribute an additional $7,500 catch-up, for a total of $30,500. The combined employee + employer limit is $69,000 (or $76,500 with catch-up). This calculator does not enforce those limits — if your inputs imply contributions above the IRS ceiling, you'll see a note to verify. See the IRS 401(k) contribution limits page for the most current figures.

Should I choose a traditional or Roth 401(k)?

Traditional 401(k) contributions reduce your taxable income now; withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income in retirement. Roth 401(k) contributions use after-tax dollars, but qualified withdrawals — including growth — are tax-free. If you expect your retirement tax bracket to be higher than your current one, Roth often wins. If you expect it to be lower (common for high earners in peak earning years), traditional usually wins. This calculator projects pre-tax balances and doesn't model the tax layer — consult a fiduciary advisor for bracket-specific guidance.

What is the 4% rule and is it reliable?

The 4% rule originated with William Bengen's 1994 research and was reinforced by the Trinity Study (Cooley, Hubbard, Walz, 1998). It suggests that withdrawing 4% of your portfolio in year one of retirement, then adjusting for inflation annually, has historically supported a 30-year retirement across most market conditions. Critics — including some in the FIRE community — argue 3% to 3.5% is safer for 40+ year retirements or in low-yield environments. Use the monthly estimate this calculator provides as a planning anchor, not a guarantee.