401(k) Retirement Calculator
Project your 401(k) value at retirement from your age, salary, contributions, and employer match. Uses your current age and retirement age to set the growth horizon.
Last updated: May 2026
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About this calculator
This calculator estimates the balance your 401(k) will reach by retirement, using your current and retirement ages to determine the number of years of growth. Your Current Balance compounds forward at Current Balance × (1 + r)^(retirement age − current age), where r is the Return Rate as a decimal. Your annual contributions — salary times the combined Contribution plus Employer Match percentages — grow as an annuity: contribution × ((1 + r)^years − 1) / r. The sum is your Projected 401(k) Value. Framing the horizon by age makes the cost of waiting vivid: someone starting at 30 has 35 years of compounding to age 65, while someone starting at 45 has only 20, and that difference can more than double the final balance for identical contributions. The employer match again acts as a guaranteed boost to every contribution, and the tax-deferred growth lets the full balance compound without annual tax drag. Edge cases: a higher return assumption has an outsized effect over long horizons, and contributions matter most in the early and middle years while compounding dominates near the end. The model assumes a constant return, a fixed salary, and steady contributions, and it does not enforce IRS contribution limits or account for taxes. As a traditional-account projection, the nominal figure will be taxed on withdrawal, and inflation will reduce its purchasing power, so treat it as a pre-tax, today-uncorrected estimate.
How to use
Example 1 — age 30 to 65, $50,000 balance, $75,000 salary, 8% contribution, 4% match, 7% return. Enter Current Age = 30, Retirement Age = 65, Current Balance = 50000, Annual Salary = 75000, Contribution = 8, Employer Match = 4, Return Rate = 7. The projected value is about $1,777,960.98. Verify: 35 years of compounding on both the balance and the $9,000 a year in combined contributions (12% of $75,000) builds a large nest egg, with the match adding a third of the contribution. Example 2 — age 35 to 65, $30,000 balance, $90,000 salary, 10% contribution, 5% match, 6% return. Enter 35, 65, 30000, 90000, 10, 5, 6. The projected value is about $1,239,590.25. Verify: a higher salary and contribution rate partly offset the five fewer years and lower return, but the shorter 30-year horizon still produces a smaller result than the first example — the cost of starting later.
Frequently asked questions
How does starting age affect my 401(k) balance?
Starting age is one of the most powerful factors because compounding rewards time exponentially. Each additional year of growth multiplies your balance, and the earliest contributions have the longest to compound, so they do the heaviest lifting. Someone who begins at 25 can end up with far more than someone who begins at 35, even if the later starter contributes more, simply because of those extra growth years. The examples show how five fewer years meaningfully reduces the final balance for similar inputs. The practical takeaway is to start contributing as early as possible, even at a low rate, and increase it over time.
Should I prioritize the 401(k) match over other goals?
Capturing the full employer match is usually the highest-priority savings move because it is an immediate, guaranteed return that nothing else matches. A common ordering is: contribute enough to get the full match, then pay off high-interest debt, then build an emergency fund, then return to maximizing retirement and other investing. Skipping the match to chase other goals almost always costs more than it saves, given the free money and decades of compounding involved. The exception is genuinely urgent, very high-interest debt or a complete lack of emergency savings. For most people, the match comes first.
What return rate should I assume?
A common assumption for a long-horizon, stock-heavy 401(k) is around 6–7% annually, reflecting historical market averages without adjusting for inflation. Your realistic figure depends on your asset allocation: more stocks mean higher expected returns with more volatility, while more bonds mean lower, steadier returns. Because the projection is so sensitive to the rate over long periods, it is wise to run both an optimistic and a conservative scenario rather than trusting one number. As you approach retirement, many people shift to a more conservative mix, lowering the expected return. Choosing a realistic, slightly conservative rate avoids overestimating your future balance.
Why isn't my projected balance my real spendable money?
For a traditional 401(k), every dollar you withdraw in retirement is taxed as ordinary income, so the nominal projection overstates what you can actually spend. Inflation compounds the issue: a balance that looks large in future dollars buys far less than the same number today. The projection also ignores fees, which quietly reduce returns over decades. To estimate real spendable wealth, apply your expected retirement tax rate and convert to today's dollars using an inflation assumption. A Roth 401(k) avoids the tax haircut but is funded with after-tax money, so the trade-off shifts. Always interpret the headline number as a pre-tax, nominal estimate.
When should I NOT rely on this calculator?
It assumes a constant return, a fixed salary, and steady contributions, so it cannot capture market volatility, salary growth, career breaks, or changes in your contribution rate over time. It does not enforce IRS contribution limits, model vesting of the employer match, or account for fees, loans, or early withdrawals. Because it ignores taxes and inflation, the nominal figure overstates both your real wealth and its purchasing power, and it excludes other income such as Social Security or IRAs. Use it to see how age, contribution rate, match, and return interact, and then build a comprehensive plan with realistic tax, inflation, and limit assumptions for actual retirement decisions. Treat it as a directional planning estimate, never a promise of future results.