Quick answer
The 401(k) projection works yearly: the balance grows as balance × (1 + return) + your contribution + employer match, where match = min(your contribution, salary × cap) × match percentage. For a $75,000 salary, 6% contribution, a 50% match up to 6%, 3% raises and 7% returns over 30 years, the projected balance is about $874,968.
Enter salary, contribution, employer match, raises, return and years. The calculator returns the projected balance and splits it into your contributions, employer match and growth.
Related tools: Retirement Calculator: Projected savings at retirement from your contributions and expected return. Savings Goal Calculator: Monthly deposit needed to reach a savings goal. CAGR Calculator: Compound annual growth rate between two values.
How to use the 401(k) Calculator
- Enter annual salary ($) (above 0).
- Enter your contribution (%) (between 0 and 100).
- Enter employer matches this share of your contribution (%) (between 0 and 1000).
- Enter …up to this share of salary (%) (between 0 and 100).
- Enter annual salary increase (%) (between -50 and 100).
- Enter annual return (%) (between -50 and 100).
- Enter years until retirement (a whole number, between 1 and 60).
- Enter current balance ($) (0 or more). It starts at 0.
- Press Calculate to see the result, and use Reset to start again.
| Input | What to enter | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Annual salary | A number, in $ | > 0 |
| Your contribution | A number, in % | ≥ 0, ≤ 100 |
| Employer matches this share of your contribution | A number, in % | ≥ 0, ≤ 1000 |
| …up to this share of salary | A number, in % | ≥ 0, ≤ 100 |
| Annual salary increase | A number, in % | ≥ -50, ≤ 100 |
| Annual return | A number, in % | ≥ -50, ≤ 100 |
| Years until retirement | A whole number | ≥ 1, ≤ 60 |
| Current balance | A number, in $ | ≥ 0, starts at 0 |
Formula and method
Formula
each year: balance ← balance × (1 + return) + contribution + match; match = min(contribution, salary × cap) × match%
IEEE-754 double precision; money shown to cents, rates to 4 decimals. Results are estimates, not financial advice.
Contributions arrive at year end; salary grows each year. IRS contribution limits are not applied.
Worked examples
These examples are verified: each one is an automated test case that the live calculator must reproduce exactly.
Example 1
Inputs: Annual salary = 75000; Your contribution = 6; Employer matches this share of your contribution = 50; …up to this share of salary = 6; Annual salary increase = 3; Annual return = 7; Years until retirement = 30; Current balance = 0.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Projected balance | $874,967.50 |
| Your contributions | $214,089.37 |
| Employer match | $107,044.69 |
| Investment growth | $553,833.44 |
Example 2
Inputs: Annual salary = 60000; Your contribution = 10; Employer matches this share of your contribution = 100; …up to this share of salary = 3; Annual salary increase = 0; Annual return = 5; Years until retirement = 10; Current balance = 20000.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Projected balance | $130,685.45 |
| Your contributions | $60,000.00 |
| Employer match | $18,000.00 |
| Investment growth | $32,685.45 |
The first line is the headline result (projected balance). Below it the 401(k) Calculator lists your contributions, employer match and investment growth, which describe the same case from other angles. IEEE-754 double precision; money shown to cents, rates to 4 decimals. Results are estimates, not financial advice.
Who pays for the growth
In the example your contributions total $214,089, the employer match $107,045 and investment growth $553,833, so growth is about 63% of the final balance. Starting early matters most because growth compounds.
What it leaves out
Annual contribution limits set by the IRS are not applied, and neither are taxes, fees, inflation or market volatility. A 7% return is an assumption, not a promise. The result is in future dollars, so it is worth less in today's purchasing power.
How the result changes with annual salary
Holding every other input at the first worked example, this table changes only annual salary. It shows how sensitive the answer is to that one value; each row was produced by running this calculator.
| Annual salary | Projected balance | Your contributions | Employer match |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37500 | $437,483.75 | $107,044.69 | $53,522.34 |
| 75000 | $874,967.50 | $214,089.37 | $107,044.69 |
| 150000 | $1,749,934.99 | $428,178.74 | $214,089.37 |
| 300000 | $3,499,869.99 | $856,357.48 | $428,178.74 |
What happens with invalid input
These messages are produced by the calculator itself, so you know what to fix.
- Annual salary: entering "0" shows "Annual salary must be greater than 0." beside that field and no result.
- Years until retirement: entering "0" shows "Years until retirement must be at least 1." beside that field and no result.
Choosing between the 401(k) Calculator and similar calculators
Each row shows what a related calculator on this site asks for and what it returns, so you can pick the one that matches your question.
| Calculator | You enter | It returns |
|---|---|---|
| [Retirement Calculator](/finance/retirement-calculator/) | current age, retirement age and current savings | Projected savings at retirement |
| [Savings Goal Calculator](/finance/savings-goal-calculator/) | savings goal, current savings and annual return | Monthly deposit needed |
| [CAGR Calculator](/finance/cagr-calculator/) | beginning value, ending value and years | CAGR |
| [Investment Calculator](/finance/investment-calculator/) | initial amount, annual interest rate and years | Projected value |
| [RMD Calculator](/finance/rmd-calculator/) | year of birth, distribution year and account balance on December 31 of the previous year | Required minimum distribution |
Background: personal finance estimates
Financial calculators project from the numbers you give them. Long-range tools depend on guesses about returns and tax rates that are unlikely to hold exactly, payoff tools assume a fixed payment and rate, and tax or salary results depend on the tax year, filing status and country. Official calculators say their output is for reference only.
For decisions that matter, use conservative inputs and check the figures against your lender, plan documents or a qualified adviser.
Assumptions and limitations
- Annual contribution limits are not applied
Results are estimates for planning, not financial advice. Lender terms, fees, taxes and rounding rules can change real figures, so confirm important numbers with your lender or a licensed adviser.
If a required value is empty, not a number, or outside its allowed range, the form marks that field with a message and shows no result instead of a misleading number. The automated checks deliberately try invalid entries for annual salary and years until retirement to confirm this.
Frequently asked questions
What is an employer match?
Money your employer adds when you contribute, often a percentage of your pay up to a cap.
Should I contribute enough to get the full match?
Many planners suggest it, because the match is an immediate return, but personal circumstances differ.
Is the balance after tax?
No, traditional 401(k) withdrawals are taxed as income.
What does the 401(k) Calculator calculate?
Projected 401(k) balance with salary growth and employer match. It returns Projected balance, Your contributions, Employer match and Investment growth.
What formula does the 401(k) Calculator use?
each year: balance ← balance × (1 + return) + contribution + match; match = min(contribution, salary × cap) × match%. Contributions arrive at year end; salary grows each year.
What do I need to enter in the 401(k) Calculator?
You enter Annual salary ($), Your contribution (%), Employer matches this share of your contribution (%), …up to this share of salary (%), Annual salary increase (%), Annual return (%), Years until retirement and Current balance ($).
How is the result rounded or limited?
IEEE-754 double precision; money shown to cents, rates to 4 decimals. Results are estimates, not financial advice. Annual contribution limits are not applied.
What is an example of a 401(k) result?
With annual salary 75000, your contribution 6, employer matches this share of your contribution 50, …up to this share of salary 6 and annual salary increase 3, the projected balance is $874,967.50.
Can I rely on this calculator for a decision?
Results are estimates for planning, not financial advice. Lender terms, fees, taxes and rounding rules can change real figures, so confirm important numbers with your lender or a licensed adviser. For this calculator in particular: Annual contribution limits are not applied.
Related calculators
- Retirement Calculator — Projected savings at retirement from your contributions and expected return.
- Savings Goal Calculator — Monthly deposit needed to reach a savings goal.
- CAGR Calculator — Compound annual growth rate between two values.
- Investment Calculator — Project investment growth from a rate of return you choose.
- Defined Benefit Pension Calculator — Annual and monthly pension from years of service, accrual rate and final average salary.
- Auto Loan Calculator — Monthly car payment after down payment and trade-in.
- Split Bill Calculator — Each person's share of a bill with tip.
Sources
- Standard time-value-of-money relations (e.g. Brealey, Myers & Allen, Principles of Corporate Finance)
Content last reviewed 2026-11-04. Formulas and worked examples are checked by automated tests against independently computed values.