401(k) Calculator — Retirement Balance Projection
Project your 401(k) to retirement — your deferrals, the employer match and decades of compounding, year by year.
Formula
Disclaimer: Assumes constant rates — real returns vary year to year and markets can fall. Educational math only, not investment advice.
Disclaimer: This tool is for general informational and estimation purposes only and is not professional financial, tax, accounting or legal advice. All figures are estimates — verify with a qualified professional before making decisions. Read the full disclaimer.
Need 401 calculator results fast? Skip the spreadsheet and get a clear, defensible answer in one step — free, private and instant, recalculating live as you change any input.
About 401(k) Calculator — Retirement Balance Projection
A 401(k) projection has three engines stacked: your deferrals, the employer match, and time. At the defaults — $35,000 saved, $75,000 salary, 8% + 4% match, 7% return, 25 years — the balance lands around $966,000, and the striking split is that investment growth contributes more than every dollar you and your employer deposited combined. That is the case for starting early in one number. The match line deserves its own look: it is an instant, guaranteed 100% return on the matched dollars before any market growth. Contributing below the full match percentage is the only universally agreed mistake in retirement planning — at the defaults, leaving a 4% match unclaimed would cost six figures by retirement. Always capture the full match before funding any other account. Two honest caveats keep the projection useful. First, the IRS caps employee deferrals ($23,500 in 2025, more with catch-up from age 50) — high earners with high percentages will hit it, and this calculator's percentage-of-salary model assumes you stay under. Second, the 7% default is a real-world blend (roughly stock-market history minus fees and a margin); plans stuffed with high-fee funds can quietly run 1% lower, which over 25 years removes roughly a fifth of the final balance. Check your plan's expense ratios once a year.
How to use 401(k) Calculator — Retirement Balance Projection
- 1Enter Current 401(k) balance, Annual salary, Your contribution (% of salary), Employer match (% of salary), Expected annual return (%), Years until retirement (years) into the 401 Calculator.
- 2The result is computed automatically using Each year: balance = balance × (1 + r) + (your % + match %) × salary ; salary grows annually — contributions ride the raise — there is no button to press; it updates live as you type.
- 3Change any input to model a different scenario, then use “Copy result link” to share the exact numbers.
Why use 401(k) Calculator — Retirement Balance Projection?
- ✓Computes 401 calculator instantly with the correct formula — no spreadsheet needed
- ✓100% free and unlimited, with no sign-up, login or paywall
- ✓Runs entirely in your browser, so the figures you enter are never uploaded or stored
- ✓Shows the formula, a live worked example and references so you can defend the number
Frequently asked questions
How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?+
Floor: the full employer match — never leave it on the table. Common target: 15% of gross income including the match (so 11% yourself with a 4% match). If that feels impossible, start at the match and raise your deferral by 1% with every annual raise — the calculator's salary-growth input shows how painlessly that compounds, because each bump comes out of money you never got used to spending.
Is 7% a realistic return assumption?+
It's the standard planning number for a stock-heavy portfolio: US large-caps have returned ~10% nominal over the long run; subtract typical fund fees and a margin of conservatism and 6–8% is the honest band. Use 5–6% if you hold significant bonds or want a stress-test, and remember the sequence matters in real life — this model smooths what the market delivers in lurches.
What happens when I change jobs?+
The vested balance is yours and keeps compounding wherever it sits. You can leave it, roll it into the new employer's plan, or roll it to an IRA — rolling over avoids the cardinal sin of cashing out, which triggers income tax plus a 10% penalty before 59½ and amputates the curve this calculator draws. Unvested match dollars may be forfeited; check your vesting schedule before you resign.
Traditional or Roth 401(k) — does this projection change?+
The balance projection is identical; what differs is whose money it is at the end. Traditional defers tax now and pays it on withdrawal; Roth taxes contributions now and withdraws tax-free. Rule of thumb: Roth when your current bracket is lower than your expected retirement bracket (early career), traditional when higher (peak earnings). Employer match always lands pre-tax regardless.
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