401(k) Calculator 2026 | Retirement Savings, Employer Match & ROTH Scenarios

For 2026, the IRS employee elective deferral limit is $23,500. Workers aged 50–59 and 64+ can contribute an additional $7,500 standard catch-up, for a total of $31,000. Under the SECURE 2.0 Act (effective 2025), workers aged 60–63 qualify for an enhanced super catch-up of $11,250, allowing up to $34,750 total. The combined employer + employee annual additions limit is $70,000. This calculator automatically applies the correct catch-up tier based on the age you enter.

The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, effective beginning in 2025, introduced an enhanced 'super catch-up' contribution limit for 401(k) participants specifically aged 60, 61, 62, and 63. For 2026, this super catch-up is $11,250 — larger than the standard $7,500 available to participants aged 50–59 and those 64 and older. If you are in the 60–63 age window, our calculator automatically applies this higher limit so your projections reflect the maximum you can legally contribute in that period.

A practical starting point for many US workers is to contribute at least enough to receive the full employer match, since that match is effectively additional compensation. From there, consider gradually increasing your contribution rate by 1–2 percentage points each year, especially after raises or bonuses, until you are on track to replace a meaningful share of your pre-retirement income. Use this 401(k) calculator to test how different contribution rates affect your projected balance at retirement.

The engine applies your employer match percentage up to the match limit you specify, then enforces the 2026 IRS combined annual additions limit of $70,000 on each employee + employer total. If your salary, contribution rate, and match would exceed this cap, the calculator proportionally scales employer contributions back to stay within the legal limit. The IRS employee elective deferral limit of $23,500 (plus any applicable catch-up) also constrains your employee contributions individually.

The expense ratio is the annual percentage fee charged by your 401(k) funds and plan administrator. It compounds against your full balance every year. For example, reducing your expense ratio from 1.0% to 0.1% on a $300,000 balance saves $2,700 per year — money that stays in your account and compounds. Over a 20-year horizon, the difference between a 1.0% and 0.1% expense ratio on a growing portfolio can easily exceed $100,000–$150,000 in final balance. Our calculator lets you enter any expense ratio to see this fee drag in your own projection.

Traditional 401(k) contributions are treated as pre-tax, so the calculator projects pretax account growth and then applies an estimated effective tax rate at retirement to approximate after-tax spendable dollars. Roth 401(k) contributions are modeled as after-tax, so qualified withdrawals are assumed to be tax-free. The results summary shows both a Traditional and a Roth after-tax value, plus the difference between them, to highlight how tax timing may affect long-term outcomes for US savers.

The calculator uses the 4% Sustainable Withdrawal Rate (SWR) rule — dividing your projected after-tax balance by 25, then by 12 — to estimate sustainable monthly retirement income. The 4% rule was introduced by financial planner William Bengen in 1994 and later supported by the Trinity Study. It suggests that a diversified retirement portfolio can historically support annual withdrawals of 4% of its starting value for 30+ years without depletion. Three monthly income estimates are shown: Traditional (nominal), Traditional (inflation-adjusted), and Roth (tax-free).

Inflation erodes the future purchasing power of your retirement savings. This calculator lets you enter a long-run US inflation assumption and optionally adjust results for inflation. When the inflation adjustment is on, the 'inflation-adjusted balance' expresses your projected 401(k) value in today's US dollars, which is far more useful when planning actual living expenses such as housing, healthcare, and everyday costs in retirement.

Yes. You can provide an approximate combined state and local income tax rate (for example, a higher rate for residents of states such as California, New York, or New Jersey) to see how state taxes may affect Traditional 401(k) after-tax outcomes. The calculator adds your state rate to an estimated federal effective tax rate to approximate the combined impact, but it does not model every detail of your personal tax situation.

It is sensible for many US households to revisit their 401(k) projection at least once a year and after major life events: job changes, large raises, marriage, buying a home, or moving to a different state. Updating your salary, contribution rate, employer match, expense ratio, and assumptions in this calculator helps you see whether you remain on track for retirement based on current US economic conditions and IRS rules.

For a more complete US retirement plan, pair this 401(k) calculator with a general retirement calculator, an IRA or Roth IRA calculator, a Social Security benefits estimator, and an RMD calculator. Together, these tools help you understand how workplace savings, individual accounts, government benefits, and withdrawal rules interact over your full retirement lifecycle.

No. This GlobalCalqulate 401(k) calculator is an educational tool for US users. It relies on user-entered data and simplified assumptions about investment returns, 2026 IRS contribution limits, US federal and state taxes, expense ratios, and the 4% withdrawal rule. It does not account for your full financial picture or provide personalized advice. Always confirm current IRS rules and consult a qualified financial or tax professional before making decisions about contributions, investments, or withdrawals.