Dollars World

Grow

401(k) Calculator

How much will my 401(k) be worth when I retire?

Updated Free, no sign-upRuns in your browser

$/yr
% of pay
$
%
Employer match
% of yours
% of pay

"50% up to 6%" is common: put in 6% of pay and your employer adds 3%. Your plan's summary lists the real formula.

Returns, fees and inflation
% a year
% a year
% a year
Used for today's dollars, and to raise the IRS limit over time.

Your 401(k) at 67

$1,236,767

Worth $561,208 in today's dollars, after 32 years of saving.

You put in
$236,262
Your employer adds
$118,131
Investment growth
$857,373
Income at 4% a year
$1,871/mo
Going in each month now
$375 + $188 match

401(k) Calculator by Dollars World ·Open the full version

Where the money comes from

You (and today's balance)Your employerGrowth

What if you saved more?

You put inAt retirementToday's dollars
3% of pay——
6% of pay——
10% of pay——
15% of pay——
IRS maximum——

How it works

Every paycheck, a share of your pay goes into the 401(k), your employer adds its match, and the whole balance is invested. The calculator follows that month by month until you retire: your salary rises once a year, returns are reduced by fund fees, and your own contributions stop at the IRS limit for your age.

Employer match = match rate × your contribution, on up to the match cap of your pay

Balance next month = balance × (1 + monthly return) + your contribution + match

For 2026 you can put in up to $24,500 of your own pay, plus a $8,000 catch-up from age 50, or $11,250 at ages 60 to 63. The IRS raises these limits with inflation, and so does the calculator.

Worked example

You're 35, earn $75,000 with 3% raises, have $25,000 saved and put 6% of your pay in. Your employer matches 50% of that, up to 6% of pay.

At a 7% return with 0.2% fees, you'd have $1,236,767 at 67, or $561,208 in today's dollars. You'd have put in $236,262, your employer $118,131, and growth does the rest: $857,373.

Using the 4% rule, that supports about $1,871 a month in today's money. Save only 3% and you'd end with $720,993, losing half the match. Save 10% and it's $1,695,232.

Things to know

  • Always take the full match. It's an instant return on your money that you can't get anywhere else. Contribute at least up to the match cap.
  • Check the vesting schedule. Employer money can take a few years to become fully yours. Leave early and you may lose part of it.
  • Fees compound too. A fund charging 1% a year instead of 0.2% can cost tens of thousands of dollars over a career. Your plan must disclose its fees.
  • Traditional or Roth. Traditional contributions cut your tax now and are taxed when you withdraw; Roth contributions are taxed now and come out tax-free in retirement.

Questions people ask

How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?

At least enough to get the full employer match. Beyond that, many people aim to save around 15% of pay for retirement in total, counting the match. The FIRE calculator shows what it takes to retire early.

What is the 4% rule?

A guideline from research on historical U.S. returns: withdrawing 4% of your savings in the first year of retirement, then adjusting for inflation, has lasted at least 30 years in most past periods. It's a planning rule of thumb, not a guarantee.

Does the employer match count toward the $24,500 limit?

No. The $24,500 limit applies only to your own contributions. Employer money counts toward a separate, higher limit on total additions to your account.

Sources

Reviewed September 26, 2026 by The Dollars World team. How we build and check our calculators · Our data and formulas. This is general information, not financial advice.

Add this calculator to your website

Free to use on your blog or site. Paste this code where you want the calculator to appear. It resizes itself and stays up to date.

All 63 calculators you can embed, and unbranded licenses for businesses