Basic 401(k) Calculator
Project your 401(k) balance with annual compounding and employer match.
Years until retirement:
35
Projected Balance
$1,418,225
Year 1 Employee Contrib
$4,800
Year 1 Employer Match
$2,400
How to Use This Calculator
Here’s what each input means and how to fill them:
– Current Age: Your age today (e.g. 30).
– Retirement Age: When you plan to stop working (e.g. 65).
– Current Balance: How much you already have in 401(k).
– Annual Salary: Your yearly income before taxes.
– Contribution Rate (%): What percent of your salary you’ll contribute.
– Employer Match (%): How much your employer contributes (e.g. 50% match up to 6%).
– Expected Annual Return (%): Your assumed average return (e.g. 5%–8%).
Once you ‘Enter Numbers,’ the tool will instantly show your projected 401(k) value at retirement.
Why Use a Basic 401(k) Calculator?
– Simplicity & Speed — For beginners, this tool gives clarity without complexity.
– Planning Baseline — You can see your “starting point” before using advanced features (like salary growth or inflation).
– Motivation to Save — When you see how much your contributions + employer match can grow, you’re more likely to increase savings.
– Comparison Tool — Use it repeatedly with different rates to test “what-if” scenarios.
Example Scenario: Projection
Let’s walk through a fictional example:
- Age: 30
- Retirement Age: 65
- Current Balance: $10,000
- Salary: $60,000
- Contribution Rate: 8%
- Employer Match: 4%
- Expected Return: 6%
With these inputs, the calculator might estimate around $800,000 in your 401(k) at retirement. You’ll see a table like:
|
Year
|
Your Contribution
|
Employer Match
|
Investment Growth
|
Projected Value
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10
|
$48,000
|
$24,000
|
$20,000
|
$92,000
|
|
20
|
$96,000
|
$48,000
|
$160,000
|
$304,000
|
|
35
|
$168,000
|
$84,000
|
$568,000
|
$820,000
|
This gives you a visual of how compounding works over time.
What Affects Your 401(k) Growth?
Your results depend on several factors:
– Contribution rate — Save more, grow more.
– Employer match — Free money you don’t want to miss.
– Returns & compounding — Earnings generate more earnings (compound interest).
– Fees & expense ratios — Higher fees eat into your growth.
– Inflation & taxes (on withdrawal) — These reduce real purchasing power.
– Vesting & turnover — If you leave your job before fully vested, some match money may be forfeited.
Limitations & Assumptions
This calculator assumes:
- A constant annual return (not adjusting for market swings).
- No withdrawals before retirement.
- Your salary, contribution, and match stay constant (unless you reset).
- It excludes taxes on withdrawal, inflation adjustments, and changes in tax laws.
- Past performance is not indicative of future returns.
Use this as a helpful estimate, not a guarantee.
Next Steps & Related Tools
– For a deeper look at **company matching**, try our **Employer Match Estimator**.
– See how growth changes with salary increases in our **Growth Calculator**.
– Want to plan your retirement income? Check our **Withdrawal / Payout Calculator**.
Guides & Learning
Short, Helpful explainer that keep users on-page longer.
