| Age | Salary | Your Contribution | Employer | End Balance |
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2026 401(k) Contribution Limits Used
*The annual-additions limit generally covers employee and employer contributions but excludes catch-up contributions, and is also subject to compensation-related rules. Plan terms can impose lower limits.
How Employer Matching Works Here
Employer plans use different matching formulas, so one field labeled “Employer Match %” is not enough. This calculator separates the match rate from the salary percentage eligible for matching.
For example, if your employer says “50% of contributions up to 6% of salary,” enter 50% as the match rate and 6% as the match-up-to percentage. On a $100,000 salary, contributing at least 6% would produce a simplified maximum match of $3,000 before any separate dollar cap or plan-specific rule.
If your plan uses tiers such as “100% of the first 3%, then 50% of the next 2%,” this simple two-field model cannot reproduce the tier exactly. Use your plan's Summary Plan Description for the actual rule.
401(k) Calculator FAQ
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?
For most 401(k) plans, the 2026 employee elective-deferral limit is $24,500. If the plan permits catch-up contributions, the general age-50-or-older catch-up is $8,000. A higher $11,250 catch-up applies in 2026 for participants age 60, 61, 62 or 63.
Does the employer match count toward my $24,500 employee limit?
Employer contributions do not use the employee elective-deferral limit. However, employee and employer contributions are subject to a separate overall annual-additions limit. For 2026 that limit is generally $72,000 before catch-up contributions, subject to applicable compensation and plan rules.
What does “50% match up to 6%” mean?
In a simple formula, the employer contributes 50 cents for each dollar you contribute, but only on contributions up to 6% of salary. If salary is $100,000 and you contribute at least $6,000, the simplified employer match is $3,000.
What is vesting?
Vesting determines how much of employer-provided money you are entitled to keep under the plan's rules. Your own employee elective contributions are fully vested; employer contributions can be subject to a vesting schedule depending on the plan.
Are Traditional and Roth 401(k) contributions both included?
This calculator projects account accumulation and does not model current or future income taxes. Traditional and Roth employee deferrals generally share the same employee elective-deferral limit, but their tax treatment differs.
Why might my actual 401(k) balance differ?
Investment returns are not constant, salary and contributions can change, fees reduce returns, employer matching and vesting rules vary, and future IRS limits will change. The result is a planning projection, not a guaranteed retirement balance.
Official 2026 limits: IRS 2026 retirement-plan limit announcement and IRS 401(k) contribution-limit guidance.