401(k) Growth Calculator
Project your 401(k) balance including employer match contributions. Enter salary, contribution percentage, employer match, and years to see how your retirement account grows with a year-by-year bar chart.
How to use this tool
- Enter annual salary, your contribution, employer match rate, match cap (% of salary), expected annual return and years to grow in the fields above.
- Results update instantly as you type — or click Calculate.
- Read your projected 401(k) balance and the full breakdown beneath it.
A 401(k) offers tax-deferred growth and often free money via employer match. Contributing at least enough to capture the full match is generally the highest guaranteed return available to most investors.
Frequently asked questions
- What is employer match?
- Employers commonly match 50% of your contributions up to 6% of salary. If you earn $60,000 and contribute $6,000 (10%), they add $1,800. That's an instant 30% return on the matched portion.
- Is this pre-tax or Roth 401(k)?
- This calculator models tax-deferred (traditional) 401(k) growth. The balance shown is before taxes on withdrawal. For after-tax (Roth) comparison, use the Roth IRA Calculator.