🏦 401k Calculator
Project your 401(k) balance at retirement, including your contributions, employer match, and investment growth.
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Employer match assumes your employer matches a percentage of your own contribution up to a set limit of your salary (e.g., 50% match up to 6% of salary). Growth is compounded monthly.
How the 401k Calculator Works
A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored retirement account that lets you contribute a percentage of your salary pre-tax, often with an employer match. This calculator projects your account balance at retirement by simulating monthly contributions, employer match, and compounding investment growth, with salary growing annually.
Formula
Employer Match = min(Contribution%, Match Limit%) × Match Rate% × Salary / 12
Each month: Balance = (Balance + Contribution + Match) × (1 + Return% / 12)
Salary increases by the annual salary growth rate each year, which increases future contribution and match amounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an employer match?
An employer match is free money your employer contributes to your 401(k) based on your own contributions, typically up to a certain percentage of your salary. For example, "50% match up to 6%" means your employer adds 50 cents for every dollar you contribute, up to 6% of your salary.
Should I contribute enough to get the full employer match?
Most financial advisors recommend contributing at least enough to receive the full employer match, since it's essentially a guaranteed 100% (or partial) return on that portion of your contribution.
How accurate is this projection?
This is an estimate based on constant assumptions for return and salary growth. Actual results will vary due to market volatility, salary changes, contribution changes, and fees.