Estimate your 401k balance at retirement, including employer match
💡 Why This Matters Your 401k is likely one of your biggest retirement assets, and small changes in contribution rate or employer match can compound into a massive difference over decades. This calculator shows you where your current plan is headed — and what happens if you increase your contribution.
The 401k gets its name from a section of the U.S. tax code — Section 401, paragraph (k) — that had nothing to do with retirement when it was written in 1978. A benefits consultant noticed it could be used to let employees defer salary tax-free and built the modern 401k around it.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We do our best to link products that we genuinely believe are organic, no disposable junk, sustainable, and built to last.
This calculator projects your 401k balance month by month from your current age to your retirement age. Each month, your contribution (a percentage of your salary) and your employer's match (your match rate applied to the smaller of your contribution percentage or the match cap) are added to your balance, which then grows at your expected annual rate of return, compounded monthly. Your salary itself increases annually based on the growth rate you enter, so your contributions and match grow along with your income over time.
The main figure is your projected balance at retirement — what your account could realistically be worth if your assumptions hold steady. The breakdown separates how much of that total came from your own contributions, your employer's match, and investment growth. Seeing how much growth compounds over decades (often more than either contribution source alone) is usually the most eye-opening part of the result.
This is a projection, not a guarantee — real markets don't return a flat percentage every year, and sequence-of-returns risk near retirement can meaningfully change outcomes even with the same average return. This calculator also doesn't account for contribution limit changes, fees, vesting schedules on employer match, or catch-up contributions available after age 50. Treat the result as a directional estimate for planning, not a precise forecast.
If your projected balance feels short of your goal, try increasing your contribution percentage — even 1-2% more can meaningfully change the outcome over a long career, especially if it's below your employer's match cap. Run a few scenarios: current contribution vs. maxing out the match vs. a higher target rate, so you can see the tradeoff before deciding what to change in your actual plan.
Example: Say you're 30 years old with a $20,000 current balance and a $70,000 salary. You contribute 6% and your employer matches 50% up to a 6% cap, with a 7% expected annual return and 3% annual salary growth. By age 65, this projects to a balance of about $1,575,187 — made up of roughly $253,941 in your own contributions, $126,970 in employer match, and $1,174,276 in investment growth.
A common rule of thumb is to contribute at least enough to get your full employer match — that's free money. Beyond that, many planners suggest 10-15% of salary total (including match) toward retirement, adjusted for your age and goals.
No — the employee elective deferral limit (what you personally contribute) is separate from employer match. Match contributions count toward a higher combined limit, but not your individual deferral cap.
This calculator models the most common structure — a flat match rate up to a percentage of salary. If your plan tiers the match (e.g. 100% up to 3%, then 50% up to 5%), run the calculation once per tier and add the results, or use your plan's average effective match rate.
No — this is an estimate based on a constant assumed rate of return. Real markets fluctuate year to year, and actual results will differ. Treat this as a planning tool, not a guarantee.