Does this account for catch-up contributions after age 50?

No — it applies the standard 2026 IRS limit ($24,500) every year without the age-50+ (or age 60-63 'enhanced') catch-up amounts, which would allow additional contributions for older savers.

Will the IRS contribution limit really stay the same for 35 years?

No — it's adjusted for inflation most years. This tool holds it fixed at the current $24,500 figure for simplicity, which understates your real available room in later years, especially once raises compound.

Does this account for taxes on withdrawal?

No — this projects a pre-tax account balance. Traditional 401(k) withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income.

What if my raises aren't steady every year?

Enter an average expected raise rate across your career — real raises are uneven (some years 0%, some years a big promotion jump), so treat this as a smoothed long-run estimate, not a year-by-year prediction.

Does a bigger match cap always mean more free money?

Only up to the point your contribution % actually reaches it — if you contribute less than the match cap, you're leaving part of your employer's match on the table regardless of how generous the cap is.

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Finance

401(k) Growth / Retirement Projection

Multi-year 401(k) projection to a target retirement age, with compounding salary growth.

🔒 Runs entirely in your browser — nothing here is ever uploaded

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Last reviewed 2026-08-30

About the 401(k) Growth / Retirement Projection

Projects a 401(k) balance to a target retirement age across multiple years, modeling salary growth from annual raises (not just a flat single-year contribution) so both your contribution dollars and your employer's match grow along with your career.

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How to use it

Enter your current age and target retirement age.
Enter your current salary and expected annual raise %.
Enter your contribution %, employer match rate and cap, current balance, and expected return.
Read your projected balance at retirement and the full year-by-year growth chart.

Formula

Each year: employee contribution = that year's salary × contribution % (capped at the 2026 IRS limit, $24,500). Employer contribution = that year's salary × min(contribution %, match cap %) × match rate. Balance = prior balance × (1 + return %) + employee + employer contributions. Salary for the next year = this year's salary × (1 + raise %).

Worked example

Age 30 to 65 (35 years), $75,000 salary with 3% annual raises, 6% employee contribution, 50% employer match up to 6%, $20,000 starting balance, 7% return: year 1 alone contributes $4,500 (employee) + $2,250 (employer) = $6,750, growing the starting balance to $28,150 by the end of year 1 — compounding for 34 more years toward retirement.

2026 IRS 401(k) contribution limits

2026 IRS 401(k) contribution limits
Limit type	2026 amount
Employee elective deferral (under 50)	$24,500
Catch-up contribution (age 50-59, or 64+)	$8,000
Enhanced catch-up (ages 60-63, SECURE 2.0)	$11,250
Max total for ages 60-63 (base + enhanced catch-up)	$35,750

Interpreting your result

Applies the 2026 IRS employee elective-deferral limit ($24,500) to every projected year without inflating that limit forward — the real limit is adjusted for inflation most years, so this likely slightly understates how much you could contribute in later years as your salary (and the cap) both rise. Assumes a constant annual investment return every year, which real markets never deliver, ignores taxes, and doesn't model the age-50+ (or age 60-63 'enhanced') catch-up contribution limits. A planning estimate, not financial advice.

Recommendations

• Even a modest annual raise meaningfully increases lifetime contributions, since both your contribution dollars and your employer match scale with a growing salary, not just your investment returns.
• This tool's flat IRS-limit assumption means it slightly underestimates your real available contribution room in later years, since the real limit is typically raised for inflation — a conservative (not optimistic) simplification.
• Compare this projection against the site's simpler 401(k) Contribution Calculator (which assumes a flat, non-growing salary) to see how much of your growth actually comes from career raises versus investment returns alone.

Frequently asked questions

The other tool assumes a flat, unchanging salary for every projected year. This one grows your salary annually from an entered raise percentage, so your contribution dollars (and employer match) increase over time too, not just your investment balance.