Free 401k calculator. Find out exactly how much your 401k will be worth at retirement based on your salary, contribution rate, employer match and annual return. Includes a year-by-year breakdown, bar chart and today’s dollar value adjusted for inflation.
How to Use This 401k Calculator
Enter your current age and the age you plan to retire. Enter your current 401k balance if you already have one. Enter your annual salary and the percentage you contribute to your 401k. Enter your employer match percentage. Set your expected annual salary raise and annual investment return. Use the inflation slider to see your balance in today’s purchasing power. Then click Calculate My 401k Growth.
What This 401k Calculator Shows You
This calculator shows your total estimated 401k balance at retirement, how much of that balance comes from your own contributions, how much comes from your employer match, and how much comes from investment growth through compounding. It also shows your projected monthly income using the 4 percent withdrawal rule, the inflation-adjusted value of your balance in today’s dollars, whether your contribution is within the 2025 IRS limit of 23500 dollars, a bar chart showing your balance growing year by year, and a full year-by-year table of contributions and balance.
What Is a 401k
A 401k is a tax-advantaged retirement savings account offered by employers in the United States. You contribute a percentage of your salary before taxes are taken out which reduces your taxable income today. Your contributions grow tax-free until you withdraw them in retirement. Most employers offer a matching contribution up to a certain percentage which is effectively free money added to your retirement savings.
What Is Employer Match and Why It Matters
Employer match is money your employer adds to your 401k based on how much you contribute. For example if your employer matches 3 percent of your salary and you earn 60000 dollars per year your employer adds 1800 dollars to your 401k every year on top of your own contributions. Over a 30 or 35 year career this free money compounds into a very significant portion of your final balance. Always contribute at least enough to get your full employer match as it is one of the best guaranteed returns available.
What Is the 2025 IRS 401k Contribution Limit
For 2025 the IRS allows employees to contribute up to 23500 dollars per year to their 401k. If you are age 50 or older you can make an additional catch-up contribution of 7500 dollars bringing the total to 31000 dollars per year. Employer contributions do not count toward this employee limit. The total combined limit from all sources is 70000 dollars in 2025.
How Does Compound Growth Work in a 401k
Compound growth means your investment earnings generate their own earnings over time. For example if you have 10000 dollars earning 7 percent per year you earn 700 dollars in the first year. In the second year you earn 7 percent on 10700 dollars which is 749 dollars. Each year the base grows larger and so do your returns. Over 30 or 35 years this compounding effect means that investment growth often becomes the largest portion of your total 401k balance — often larger than all your contributions combined.
What Is the 4 Percent Withdrawal Rule
The 4 percent rule is a widely used retirement planning guideline. It suggests that you can withdraw 4 percent of your retirement portfolio in the first year of retirement and then adjust for inflation each subsequent year with a very high probability of your money lasting 30 years or more. This calculator uses the 4 percent rule to estimate your monthly retirement income from your 401k balance.
How Much Should I Contribute to My 401k
Financial advisors generally recommend contributing at least enough to get your full employer match as a minimum. Beyond that a common target is 10 to 15 percent of your salary including any employer match. If you are starting late many advisors recommend contributing as much as possible up to the IRS annual limit to make up for lost time. The earlier you start contributing the more time compound growth has to work in your favour.
Frequently Asked Questions : FAQs
What annual return rate should I use?
The S&P 500 has historically returned an average of around 7 percent per year after inflation or about 10 percent before inflation. This calculator defaults to 7 percent which is a commonly used conservative estimate. You can adjust this to model different scenarios.
What happens if I change jobs?
When you change jobs your 401k balance stays yours. You can leave it with your old employer, roll it over to your new employer’s 401k plan or roll it into an IRA. Rolling it over is usually recommended to keep everything in one place and maintain the tax-advantaged growth.
What is the difference between a traditional 401k and a Roth 401k?
With a traditional 401k your contributions are pre-tax which means you pay taxes when you withdraw in retirement. With a Roth 401k your contributions are after-tax which means your withdrawals in retirement are completely tax-free. This calculator models a traditional 401k.
Can I withdraw from my 401k before retirement?
You can withdraw from your 401k before age 59 and a half but you will generally pay a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty plus ordinary income tax on the amount. There are some exceptions for hardship withdrawals and loans.
Is this 401k calculator free?
Completely free. No sign up, no login, no limits.
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Last updated: March 2026 · Free tool by ThatsTheTool.com