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401(k) calculator (2026 limits)

Your yearly 401(k) contribution and employer match, capped at this year’s IRS limit, and what the account could grow to by retirement.

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You put in (per year) $6,000

How it works

you = min(salary × %, limit) · match = salary × min(%, cap) × match rate

You choose a percentage of your pay; the IRS caps how much you can defer each year, with a higher “catch-up” limit from age 50 and a larger one at ages 60 to 63. A typical employer match is “50% of what you put in, up to 6% of salary”: the employer matches only the part of your contribution up to that cap. The yearly total is then invested each month until retirement at the return you enter. The limits are held at this year’s values; the IRS raises them most years, so the real balance can be a little higher.

  1. Your contribution, capped at the limit min($75,000.00 × 8 ÷ 100, $24,500) = $6,000
  2. Employer match on the part up to the cap $75,000.00 × min(8, 6) ÷ 100 × 50 ÷ 100 = $2,250
  3. Grow it monthly until retirement $30,000.00 × 5.032734 + $8,250 ÷ 12 × (5.032734 − 1) ÷ 0.005 = $705,483

IRS 401(k) limits for 2026

Limit Amount
Employee deferral $24,500
Catch-up, age 50+ $8,000
Catch-up, ages 60–63 (instead) $11,250
Total, you + employer $72,000

IRS Notice 2025-67.

Good to know

  • Tax year 2026 figures (IRS Notice 2025-67). They change every year; this page is checked when the new ones come out.
  • An estimate to plan with, not financial or tax advice.

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