401(k) Calculator & Employer Match Planner
Model your future retirement portfolio, employer match, tax savings, and salary growth trajectory with precision.
Full Employer Match Captured!
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Portfolio Growth Trajectory
Visual breakdown of contributions vs. compound exponential interest
Year-by-Year Amortization & Vesting Schedule
Exact breakdown of annual employee savings, sponsor matches, and interest capitalization.
| Age | Annual Salary | Starting Balance | Your Contribution | Employer Match | Annual Interest | Ending Balance |
|---|
The 401(k) Future Value & Tax Shield Formula
CalculatePilot models employer retirement plans using discrete monthly compound interest with an annual salary escalation schedule.
Contributions are deducted directly from pre-tax earnings, lowering your taxable gross income today. For an individual in the 24% federal bracket contributing $10,000, out-of-pocket take-home pay is only reduced by $7,600, giving an immediate tax subsidy.
Contributions are funded with after-tax compensation. In exchange, investment growth and qualified distributions after age 59½ (once the account is at least 5 years old) are free from federal income tax.
How this calculator works
Each month, your contribution and your employer's match are added to the balance, which compounds monthly at your expected annual return. Your salary rises by the growth rate once a year, so contributions set as a percentage rise with it. Your own contributions are capped at the IRS elective-deferral limit for your age in each year, and the employer match is calculated on the contribution you actually make.
The match is modeled the way most plans describe it: the employer contributes a percentage of your contribution, on the part of your contribution up to a percentage of salary. With "50% up to 6%", contributing 6% or more earns the full 3% of salary; contributing 4% earns only 2%.
2026 401(k) contribution limits
| Your age in 2026 | Employee deferral limit |
|---|---|
| Under 50 | $24,500 |
| 50–59 or 64+ | $32,500 ($24,500 + $8,000 catch-up) |
| 60–63 | $35,750 ($24,500 + $11,250 super catch-up) |
The calculator applies the right limit for your age in every projected year, holding the 2026 amounts flat (future limits are indexed to inflation, so this is conservative). Employer contributions don't count toward the employee limit, though a separate, higher overall cap applies to combined employee and employer contributions. Source: IRS — 2026 401(k) and IRA limits.
A worked example
A 30-year-old earning $70,000 with 3% annual raises, contributing 6% with a 50% match up to 6%, starting from $15,000 and earning 7% until 65, reaches about $1.51 million. Their own contributions total about $254,000 and the employer adds about $127,000 — the rest is compound growth on top of those deposits and the starting balance.
Notice the employer match alone contributes six figures over a career — which is why capturing the full match is often called one of the highest-value financial moves available to most workers.
Vesting schedules
Employer matching contributions are sometimes subject to a vesting schedule, meaning you only fully own the matched funds after working at the company for a certain period. Leaving before you're fully vested can mean forfeiting some or all of the employer match. This calculator assumes you are 100% vested — check your plan's schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Should I contribute enough to get the full employer match?
Generally yes — an employer match is effectively free money, and missing it is one of the most common ways people leave value on the table. The callout under your projected balance shows how much match you're capturing.
Does this account for contribution limits?
Yes. Your contributions are capped at the 2026 IRS limit for your age each year: $24,500 under 50, $32,500 from 50 (with the $8,000 catch-up) and $35,750 at ages 60–63.
What happens if I leave my job — can I keep my 401(k)?
Yes — you can typically leave it with your former employer's plan, roll it into your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA, each with different pros and cons worth researching.
Is Roth or traditional 401(k) better?
Traditional contributions reduce taxable income now with taxes owed on withdrawal; Roth contributions are taxed now but grow tax-free. The better choice often depends on whether you expect to be in a higher or lower tax bracket in retirement.
What happens to my employer match if I leave my job?
It depends on your plan's vesting schedule — some employers require a certain number of years of service before you fully own matched contributions, so check your specific plan documents.
Is there a penalty for withdrawing from a 401(k) early?
Withdrawals before age 59½ generally incur a 10% early withdrawal penalty on top of ordinary income tax, with some exceptions for specific circumstances — early withdrawal is generally discouraged given the impact on long-term growth.
Limits checked against IRS guidance for tax year 2026 · Our methodology · Last updated September 2026