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Printed August 25, 2026 · https://trycleartally.com/401k-calculator
Estimates for educational purposes only — not financial advice. See https://trycleartally.com/disclaimer.
401(k) Calculator
Percent of salary you contribute.
E.g. 50% means $0.50 per $1 you contribute.
Max percent of salary the match applies to.
Projected 401(k) balance at retirement
In 35 years, at age 65
Employer match earned
Free money over your career
Your total contributions
Investment growth
Your yearly contribution
Employer yearly match
Years to retirement
Where your balance comes from
Your contributions, the employer match, and investment growth, stacked over time.
Assumes a constant salary, contribution rate, and annual return, with contributions added each year. Contribution limits use the 2026 IRS limits. Estimate for planning only, not financial advice.
401(k) Projection
Projected balance at retirement
$1,262,220
Contribution limits use the 2026 IRS limits. Estimate only, not financial advice.
Calculated using the standard formulas described at https://trycleartally.com/methodology — for educational estimates only, not a quote or financial advice. Verify with your lender or financial institution before making decisions.
Project your 401(k) balance at retirement and see how much your employer match adds — the closest thing to free money most people ever get.
Reviewed by the ClearTally editorial team · Last updated July 4, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Part of the retirement calculators collection — 6 tools in the order most people need them.
How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?
At minimum, enough to collect the whole employer match. Anything less is a pay cut you chose. Past that, the answer depends on what else the money is for — advisors often point to 10–15% of salary including the match as a working target, but a high-interest debt or a missing emergency fund can reasonably come first.
The gap is larger than it looks, because the match compounds alongside your own money. Example: a 30-year-old earning $80,000 with $25,000 saved, retiring at 65 at a 7% return, contributing 6% with a 50% match up to 6%, lands at about $1,262,000. Halving that to 3% lands at about $765,000 — roughly $498,000 less, of which $42,000 is employer money simply never claimed. Estimates, and real returns will vary year to year.
What happens if I don't get the full employer match?
You forfeit it. A match is paid only on what you actually contribute, so contributing under the cap leaves that portion unclaimed for the year, and most plans give no way to make it up later. On the example above, contributing 3% against a 6% cap collects $42,000 of match across 35 years instead of $84,000. Raise your percent to at least the cap before optimising anything else about the account.
How it works
Each year you contribute a percent of your salary, and your employer adds a match— commonly something like “50% of what you put in, up to 6% of your salary.” Your balance then grows at your expected return. We compound the balance annually and add each year's contributions on top:
- Your contribution — salary × your percent, capped at the IRS elective-deferral limit ($24,500 for 2026 IRS limits, plus a catch-up from age 50).
- Employer match — match rate × the lower of your contribution percent and the match cap, times your salary. Contributing less than the cap leaves match money unclaimed.
- Growth — the whole balance compounds each year at your expected return.
Example: on an $80,000 salary contributing 6% ($4,800) with a 50%-up-to-6% match, your employer adds $2,400 every year — a 50% instant return before any market growth. Over a career that match alone can grow into six figures.
Sources & further reading
FAQ
It's money your employer adds to your 401(k) based on what you contribute — for example, 50% of your contributions up to 6% of your salary. It's part of your compensation, so not contributing enough to get the full match is leaving guaranteed money on the table.
At least enough to reach your employer's match cap. If they match up to 6% of salary, contributing 6% captures the entire match. This calculator flags when your contribution is below the cap so you can see the free money you'd be missing.
The IRS caps your own elective deferrals — $24,500 for 2026 IRS limits, with an extra catch-up amount allowed from age 50. Employer match dollars don't count against that employee limit. The calculator automatically caps your contribution at the limit.
No. The elective-deferral limit applies only to your own contributions. Employer matching is separate (it falls under a much higher overall limit), which is another reason the match is such a good deal.
It's an estimate. It assumes a constant salary, contribution rate, and annual return, and adds contributions once a year — real returns vary year to year and salaries usually rise. Use it to compare scenarios (like raising your contribution to the match cap), not as a guaranteed figure.