See how big your 401(k) could grow. This free 401k calculator projects your balance at retirement including your employer match, and shows how much comes from contributions versus growth.
Estimate only, in nominal dollars. Employer match is treated as dollar-for-dollar up to the percent you contribute.
How the 401k Calculator Works
Projecting a 401(k) balance means growing your current savings alongside years of future contributions from both you and your employer. This calculator combines your existing balance, a monthly contribution built from your salary and contribution percentage, an employer match, and an expected annual return to project what the account could be worth by your chosen retirement age.
Formula: Balance = P × (1 + i)^N + PMT × [(1 + i)^N − 1] ÷ i, where P is your current balance, i is the expected annual return ÷ 12, N is years to retirement × 12, and PMT is your monthly contribution (your percent plus employer match percent, capped at your contribution rate, applied to monthly salary).
- Current age / Retirement age — sets the number of years the account has left to grow.
- Current 401(k) balance — the starting amount already saved, before future contributions.
- Annual salary — the base your contribution and employer match percentages are calculated from.
- Your contribution — the percent of salary you contribute each pay period.
- Employer match — the percent your employer adds, treated as dollar-for-dollar up to your own contribution rate.
- Expected annual return — the assumed yearly investment growth rate applied to the whole balance.
Example Scenarios
| Current Age → Retirement | Annual Salary | Your Contribution | Employer Match | Return | Projected Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 → 65 | $60,000 | 6% | 3% | 7% | ≈$1,040,600 |
| 25 → 65 | $50,000 | 5% | 5% | 7% | ≈$1,175,200 |
| 40 → 65 | $90,000 | 8% | 4% | 6% | ≈$980,900 |
| 50 → 65 | $100,000 | 10% | 5% | 6% | ≈$854,300 |
| 22 → 67 | $45,000 | 4% | 4% | 7% | ≈$1,137,800 |
401k Calculator FAQ
How is the employer match calculated in this tool?
The calculator treats the match as dollar-for-dollar up to whatever employer match percentage you enter, but caps it at your own contribution rate — if you contribute less than your employer’s stated match percentage, the match is limited to your lower rate.Does this account for IRS contribution limits?
No, the calculator projects growth based on the salary and percentages you enter without applying any annual contribution dollar caps, so very high contribution percentages on a high salary could overstate what’s actually allowed to go into the account each year.Are the projected numbers adjusted for inflation?
No, results are shown in nominal, today’s-dollar terms and are not adjusted for inflation. A large future balance will have noticeably less real purchasing power than the same dollar figure would have today.What if my employer’s match isn’t a simple percentage?
Some employers match differently, such as fifty cents per dollar up to a cap. This calculator assumes a straightforward percentage match, so you may need to approximate an equivalent percentage to model a non-standard match formula.What return rate is realistic to use?
There’s no single right answer, since market returns vary considerably year to year and by portfolio mix. Try running the calculator with a few different expected annual return percentages to see how sensitive your projected balance is to that assumption.How much of my final balance comes from growth versus contributions?
The results break your projected balance into your own contributions, employer match, and investment growth, letting you see how much of the total came from money put in versus market gains compounding over the years.Related Calculators
To round out your retirement planning, you might also compare projected growth in a Roth IRA, model your total retirement savings across all accounts, or look ahead to estimate required minimum distributions once you reach withdrawal age.