Year by year
$80,000.00 pay, 10% from you, 2026 limits, 7% a year.
| Age | You | Employer | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | $9,004.07 | $2,701.22 | $100,320.54 |
| 39 | $10,438.19 | $3,131.46 | $216,355.19 |
| 44 | $12,100.72 | $3,630.22 | $391,148.95 |
| 49 | $14,028.05 | $4,208.41 | $650,274.52 |
| 54 | $16,262.35 | $4,878.71 | $1,029,904.59 |
| 59 | $18,852.52 | $5,655.76 | $1,581,127.60 |
| 64 | $21,855.24 | $6,556.57 | $2,376,008.49 |
Long tables show every fifth year. The "You" and "Employer" columns are what goes in during that one year, and the balance is at the end of it.
Results are estimates for planning. They are not financial, tax or legal advice.
401(k) limits for 2026 and 2027
The IRS sets these limits each year and usually publishes the next year's figures in late October or November. This page adds them when they come out.
| Limit | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Your contributions | $24,500 | $25,500 |
| Catch-up from age 50 | +$8,000 | +$8,500 |
| Catch-up at ages 60 to 63 | +$11,250 | +$11,750 |
| You and your employer together | $72,000 | $75,000 |
| Pay that a plan may count | $360,000 | $375,000 |
Source: IRS Notice 2025-67 (tax year 2026) and IRS Notice 2026-66 (tax year 2027). Figures last checked against the IRS notices on November 13, 2026.
The catch-up amounts are added to your own limit, so someone aged 50 can put in $32,500 in 2026, and someone who turns 61 that year can put in $35,750. The higher catch-up applies only in the years you reach 60, 61, 62 and 63; at 64 it goes back to the standard amount. Your plan has to offer catch-up contributions for you to use them.
How the employer match works
Most matches have two parts: a rate, and a ceiling expressed as a share of your pay.
On $80,000 of pay with "50% on the first 6%", the ceiling is 6% × 80,000 = $4,800. Put in 10% ($8,000) and the match is 50% × 4,800 = $2,400. Put in only 3% ($2,400) and the match is 50% × 2,400 = $1,200, which leaves $1,200 a year unclaimed.
A "dollar for dollar up to 4%" match is entered as 100% on the first 4%. If your employer gives a fixed percentage whether or not you contribute, enter it as a match of 100% on that percentage and make sure your own contribution is at least as large.
Worked examples
Age 30, $80,000, 10% with a 50% match on 6%
In the first year you put in $8,000 and your employer adds $2,400. With 3% raises, a 7% return and $25,000 already saved, the balance at 65 comes to $2,376,008.49. Over the 35 years you put in $483,696.65, your employer $145,109.00, and growth supplies the remaining $1,722,202.84.
Checking it by hand with no growth
Set the return, the raise and the balance to 0. Each year $8,000 + $2,400 = $10,400 goes in, and 35 × 10,400 = $364,000. The calculator shows exactly that, which is a quick way to see that contributions are being counted correctly before growth is added.
Hitting the limit
Someone earning $300,000 who chooses 15% would put in $45,000, which is more than the law allows. In 2026 the calculator holds it to $24,500 under age 50, $32,500 from 50, and $35,750 in the years they turn 60 to 63.
Catch-up contributions and the Roth rule
Catch-up contributions are open to anyone who is 50 or older by the end of the year; you do not have to be "behind" on saving. Since 2026 there is one extra condition for higher earners: if your wages from the employer that sponsors the plan were above $150,000 in 2025, your catch-up contributions for 2026 must be made as Roth contributions. For 2027 the threshold is $155,000 of 2026 wages. The IRS explains this on its catch-up contributions page.
What this calculator assumes
- Limits stay as they are. Every later year reuses the limits of the year you pick. Real limits usually rise, so if you save at the limit the result is on the cautious side.
- Steady return. The same return is applied every year. A 7% yearly return is applied as 0.565% a month, which compounds to exactly 7%.
- Even contributions. Each year's money goes in as twelve equal parts, and pay rises once a year.
- You are fully vested. Employer money that you would lose by leaving early is not taken off.
- No taxes or fees. Enter the return after fund fees. Tax on withdrawals depends on whether the money is traditional or Roth.
Questions people ask
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026 and 2027?
You can put in up to $24,500 in 2026 and $25,500 in 2027. From age 50 you can add a catch-up of $8,000 in 2026 and $8,500 in 2027. In the years you turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 the catch-up is higher: $11,250 in 2026 and $11,750 in 2027.
Does my employer’s match count toward my limit?
No. The $24,500 limit for 2026 covers only what comes out of your own pay. Your contributions and your employer’s together have a separate, much higher limit: $72,000 in 2026 and $75,000 in 2027, not counting age-50 catch-up.
How much should I put in?
At the very least, enough to collect the whole employer match, because the match is pay you only get by contributing. With a match of 50% on the first 6% of pay, putting in less than 6% leaves money unclaimed. The calculator tells you how much.
Traditional or Roth 401(k): does it change the result?
Not the balance shown here. The two share one contribution limit and grow the same way. The difference is tax: traditional contributions lower your taxable pay now and withdrawals are taxed later, while Roth contributions are taxed now and qualified withdrawals are tax-free.
I have two jobs with 401(k) plans. Do I get two limits?
No. The $24,500 employee limit applies to you as a person across all your 401(k) and 403(b) plans combined. A 457(b) plan is different: it has its own separate limit, which our 457(b) calculator covers.
Can I also contribute to an IRA?
Yes. IRAs have their own limit ($7,500 in 2026), separate from the 401(k). Whether a Roth IRA is open to you depends on your income; the Roth IRA calculator works that out.