401(k) Calculator
Project your 401(k) balance at retirement — enter your current balance, salary, contribution percentage, employer match, years and expected return to see your future balance and the employer match you collect.
Estimate only, not financial advice. Projections assume a constant salary, contribution rate and annual return, which vary in reality; investment returns are not guaranteed and contribution limits apply. For planning only.
How your 401(k) grows
Each year your 401(k) gets your contribution plus any employer match, and the whole balance earns a return that compounds. This calculator projects it forward: it takes your contribution percentage and the employer match as shares of your salary, adds them every year, and grows the balance at the return you choose until retirement. Small changes — a higher contribution rate or a few extra years — make a big difference over decades.
Get the full match, then aim higher
The employer match is free money, so contributing at least enough to capture it is the first priority; from there, 10–15% of pay is a common target. Returns aren’t guaranteed, so a conservative 6–7% keeps the projection realistic. To see how the underlying compounding works, use the compound interest calculator, and to check your take-home pay after contributing, the paycheck calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much will my 401(k) be worth at retirement?
It depends on your balance, contributions, employer match, years invested and return. For example, $25,000 now plus 6% of a $70,000 salary with a 3% match, growing at 7% for 25 years, projects to roughly $535,000. Enter your own numbers above for an estimate.
How does employer matching work?
Many employers match part of your contribution — for instance 50% up to 6% of pay, or a flat 3% of salary. It is free money, so contributing at least enough to get the full match is usually worthwhile. Enter the match as a percentage of salary above to include it.
How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?
A common guideline is 10–15% of pay including the employer match, and at minimum enough to capture the full match. Increasing your percentage even a little has a large effect over decades thanks to compounding — try different rates above to see it.
What return should I assume?
Long-term stock-market returns have historically averaged about 7% a year after inflation, though any given year varies widely and returns are not guaranteed. Using a conservative figure like 6–7% gives a realistic projection; adjust it above to see best and worst cases.