Retirement Calculator

Project your 401(k) balance at retirement from your contributions, employer match, salary growth and investment return.

years
years
$
$
% of salary
% of your contribution
% of salary
%
%
%
Balance at retirement
$1,958,869

Your balance is projected in future dollars. At 2.5% inflation, $1,958,869 in 35 years buys about what $825,411 buys today.

Balance by age
Your moneyEmployer matchGrowth
$0$500K$1M$1.5M$2M3035404550556065Age
Your contributions
$374,959
Employer match
$112,488
Investment growth
$1,446,423
Estimated annual retirement income
$78,355
At retirement
Your money: $399,959 (20.4%)Employer match: $112,488 (5.7%)Growth: $1,446,423 (73.8%)
  • Your money$399,95920.4%
  • Employer match$112,4885.7%
  • Growth$1,446,42373.8%
Show the working
  1. 35 years of contributions, growing 7% a year
  2. Year 1: you put in $7,500.00, your employer adds $2,250.00
  3. Each year: balance = balance × (1 + 7%) + contributions; salary rises 2%
  4. Retirement income ≈ $1,958,869 × 4% = $78,355 a year

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded.

Formula

Each year: B = B × (1 + r) + your contribution + matchMatch = match % × min(your contribution, match limit % × salary)Income ≈ final balance × withdrawal rate

How it works

This calculator projects a 401(k), 403(b) or similar workplace plan year by year. Each year you contribute a percentage of your salary, your employer adds its match, the whole balance earns the assumed return, and your salary rises by the raise you enter. Contributions are credited at the end of each year, which keeps the estimate slightly conservative.

Employee contributions are capped at the 2026 IRS elective-deferral limit of $24,500, plus a $8,000 catch-up from age 50. Workers aged 60–63 may be allowed a larger catch-up, and the limits rise with inflation in most years, so high savers may be able to put in more than shown.

A typical match is "50% of what you contribute, up to 6% of salary", which is worth 3% of pay. Contributing at least enough to get the full match is one of the highest-return moves available, because the match is an instant return on your money.

The retirement income line uses a withdrawal rate. The well-known "4% rule" comes from research suggesting that withdrawing 4% of a balanced portfolio in the first year, then adjusting for inflation, has historically lasted about 30 years. It is a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

How much do I need to retire?

A common estimate is 25 times the yearly spending your portfolio must cover (the inverse of the 4% rule). Subtract expected Social Security and pensions from your spending first.

Is the result in today's dollars?

No — it is in future dollars. The note under the result shows roughly what it would be worth in today's money at 2.5% inflation. To plan in today's dollars, you can instead enter a real return (return minus inflation) and set the raise to your expected real raise.

What return should I use?

Many planners use 5–7% for a stock-heavy portfolio and lower for one with more bonds. Small changes compound over decades, so try a few values to see the range.

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