Year by year
$62,000.00 pay, 8% from you, 2026 limits, 6% a year.
| Age | You | Employer | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | $4,960.00 | $1,860.00 | $26,085.58 |
| 36 | $5,084.00 | $1,906.50 | $34,831.43 |
| 37 | $5,211.10 | $1,954.16 | $44,281.55 |
| 38 | $5,341.38 | $2,003.02 | $54,482.68 |
| 39 | $5,474.91 | $2,053.09 | $65,484.49 |
| 40 | $5,611.78 | $2,104.42 | $77,339.72 |
| 41 | $5,752.08 | $2,157.03 | $90,104.43 |
| 42 | $5,895.88 | $2,210.96 | $103,838.12 |
| 43 | $6,043.28 | $2,266.23 | $118,604.03 |
| 44 | $6,194.36 | $2,322.89 | $134,469.27 |
| 45 | $6,349.22 | $2,380.96 | $151,505.16 |
| 46 | $6,507.95 | $2,440.48 | $169,787.40 |
| 47 | $6,670.65 | $2,501.49 | $189,396.36 |
| 48 | $6,837.41 | $2,564.03 | $210,417.41 |
| 49 | $7,008.35 | $2,628.13 | $232,941.15 |
| 50 | $7,183.56 | $2,693.83 | $257,063.78 |
| 51 | $7,363.15 | $2,761.18 | $282,887.43 |
| 52 | $7,547.23 | $2,830.21 | $310,520.49 |
| 53 | $7,735.91 | $2,900.97 | $340,078.03 |
| 54 | $7,929.30 | $2,973.49 | $371,682.17 |
| 55 | $8,127.54 | $3,047.83 | $405,462.56 |
| 56 | $8,330.73 | $3,124.02 | $441,556.75 |
| 57 | $8,538.99 | $3,202.12 | $480,110.76 |
| 58 | $8,752.47 | $3,282.18 | $521,279.52 |
| 59 | $8,971.28 | $3,364.23 | $565,227.46 |
| 60 | $9,195.56 | $3,448.34 | $612,129.05 |
| 61 | $9,425.45 | $3,534.54 | $662,169.44 |
The "You" and "Employer" columns are what goes in during that one year. Periods longer than 30 years show every fifth year.
Results are estimates for planning. They are not financial, tax or legal advice.
403(b) limits for 2026 and 2027
| Limit | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Your contributions | $24,500 | $25,500 |
| 15-year rule, if you qualify | +$3,000 | +$3,000 |
| 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 |
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 limit on your own contributions is shared with any 401(k) you also pay into: it is one limit per person, not per plan. A 457(b) is the exception and has a limit of its own.
The 15-year rule
The 403(b) has a catch-up that no other plan has. If you have worked at least 15 years for the same eligible employer, and the plan permits it, your limit goes up by the smallest of these three amounts:
- $3,000;
- $15,000, minus what you have already put in under this rule in earlier years;
- $5,000 times your years of service, minus all the contributions you made from pay in earlier years.
This calculator applies the first two: $3,000 a year until $15,000 has been used, which takes five years at the full amount. The third test depends on your whole contribution history, so ask your plan administrator whether it lowers your figure; long-time savers who have always contributed heavily often get nothing from the rule. The IRS sets the rule out on its 403(b) contribution limits page.
Eligible employers are public school systems, hospitals, home health service agencies, health and welfare service agencies, and churches or associations of churches.
Worked examples
A teacher at 35 saving 8% of $62,000
In the first year that is 8% × 62,000 = $4,960 from pay, and a 3% employer contribution adds $1,860. With 2.5% raises, a 6% return and $18,000 already saved, the balance at 62 comes to $662,169.44. Over 27 years the teacher puts in $188,043.52 and the employer $70,516.32.
Checking it by hand with no growth
Set the return, the raise and the balance to 0. Each year $4,960 + $1,860 = $6,820 goes in, and 27 × 6,820 = $184,140.
Using every allowance at 52
A hospital employee aged 52 with 20 years of service, whose plan offers both catch-ups, can put in $24,500 + $3,000 + $8,000 = $35,500 in 2026. Tick the 15-year box and enter a contribution percentage high enough to reach it; the "most you can put in" line shows the limit being used.
A 403(b) with a 457(b)
Public schools, state universities and public hospitals often offer both plans. Because the 457(b) limit is separate, an employee under 50 could put $24,500 into each in 2026, for $49,000 in total. If you are trying to shelter as much pay as possible late in your career, run this calculator and the 457(b) calculator side by side and add the two balances.
What this calculator assumes
- Later years reuse the limits of the year you pick. Real limits usually rise.
- The same return is applied every year, and the employer contribution is a fixed share of pay.
- Fees are not taken off. Enter the return after the charges on your funds or annuity contract.
- Taxes are not estimated. Traditional contributions are taxed when withdrawn; Roth contributions are taxed when made.
Questions people ask
What is the 403(b) contribution limit for 2026 and 2027?
$24,500 in 2026 and $25,500 in 2027 from your own pay. From age 50 you can add $8,000 in 2026 and $8,500 in 2027, and in the years you turn 60 to 63 the extra is $11,250 in 2026 and $11,750 in 2027.
What is the 15-year rule?
If you have at least 15 years of service with the same eligible employer and your plan allows it, you can put in up to $3,000 a year more than the basic limit, up to $15,000 over your lifetime. Eligible employers include public school systems, hospitals, health and welfare service agencies and churches.
Can I use the 15-year rule and the age-50 catch-up together?
Yes, if your plan offers both. Money above the basic limit counts toward the 15-year amount first and the age-50 catch-up second. A 52-year-old who qualifies for both could put in $35,500 in 2026.
Is a 403(b) the same as a 401(k)?
They work the same way for saving: money comes out of your pay, grows untaxed, and shares the same yearly limit. A 403(b) is offered by public schools, certain nonprofits and churches instead of businesses, it often invests through annuity contracts or mutual funds, and it is the only one with the 15-year rule.
Can I have a 403(b) and a 457(b) at the same time?
Yes, and the limits do not overlap. Many public school and hospital employees can put $24,500 into each in 2026, $49,000 in all, before any catch-up. See the 457(b) calculator.
Does my employer’s contribution count toward my limit?
Not toward the $24,500. Your contributions and your employer’s together cannot be more than $72,000 in 2026 and $75,000 in 2027, or 100% of your includible pay if that is less. Age-50 catch-up sits on top of that.