401(k) Calculator Online
Project 401(k) growth from your salary, contribution rate, and employer match, computed in your browser, as estimates only.
The 401(k) Calculator runs entirely in your browser. The balance, salary, and contribution rates you enter never leave your device and nothing is uploaded to ArrayKit. Results are estimates only, not financial advice.
Open the Retirement Calculator
About 401(k) Calculator
401(k) Calculator projects how your workplace retirement account could grow by combining your current balance, salary, contribution rate, and employer match into a year-by-year compounding model. Enter your current balance and salary, set how much of your pay you contribute, and add your employer's match rate and match limit to see how much matching money gets added each year. The calculator compounds your balance at an expected annual return you choose, and can optionally grow your salary over time to keep contributions realistic. It reports the projected balance, how much you personally contributed, how much your employer matched, and total growth, plus a year-by-year table. Everything runs locally in your browser — no salary or balance figures are uploaded. These are estimates only, not financial advice.
Features
- Combines current balance, salary, contribution rate, and employer match into one projection
- Caps the employer match at the match limit you enter, just like a real plan
- Compounds your balance annually at an expected return you choose
- Optional yearly salary growth so future contributions scale with raises
- Splits results into projected balance, your contributions, employer match, and growth
- Year-by-year table showing contributions and balance for every year
- Copy a plain-text summary of every input and result
- Runs entirely in your browser with no salary or balance data sent anywhere
How to use the 401(k) Calculator
- Enter your current 401(k) balance and annual salary
- Enter your contribution percent and your employer's match rate and match limit
- Set the expected annual return and the number of years until retirement
- Optionally turn on yearly salary growth
- Read the projected balance, contribution totals, and year-by-year growth table
Example
Input
$20k, $80k salary, 6% + 50% match
Output
Balance in 30 yr: ~$900k
A $20,000 starting balance with a $80,000 salary, 6% contribution, and a 50% match up to 6% of pay, projected at a 7% annual return.
Common errors & troubleshooting
- The projected balance looks far too small. — Enter percentages in whole-number form (6 for 6%), not decimals (0.06) — the 401(k) Calculator expects percent form for contribution, match, and return fields.
- The employer match total doesn't change when I raise my contribution. — This is expected once your contribution percent exceeds the match limit — most plans only match contributions up to a set percent of salary, and the calculator caps the match the same way.
- The 401(k) Calculator ignores the annual IRS contribution limit. — The calculator is a simplified growth model and doesn't cap contributions at the yearly IRS elective-deferral limit. For a high salary or contribution rate, check the current-year limit yourself.
- Results seem optimistic compared to my real statement. — The projection assumes a constant annual return and doesn't subtract fund fees, taxes on withdrawal, or account fees — treat it as a ballpark estimate, not a guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the 401(k) Calculator actually project?
- It projects your 401(k) balance by adding your yearly contribution and employer match to your balance, then compounding the total at the expected annual return you enter, repeated for every year until retirement.
- How does the 401(k) Calculator handle the employer match limit?
- It caps the matched percentage at the match limit you enter — for example, a 50% match up to 6% of pay only matches the first 6% of salary you contribute, even if you contribute more.
- Does the 401(k) Calculator account for the IRS contribution limit?
- No. It models growth from the rate and salary you enter without enforcing the yearly IRS elective-deferral cap, so very high contribution rates on a large salary may exceed real-world limits.
- Can the 401(k) Calculator model rising salaries?
- Yes. Turn on 'Assume yearly salary growth' and enter an annual growth percent — the calculator increases your salary (and contribution amounts) by that rate each year of the projection.
- Are 401(k) Calculator results guaranteed?
- No. The 401(k) Calculator produces estimates only, not financial advice. It assumes a constant annual return and doesn't model fees, taxes, or vesting schedules; real account growth varies.
- Does the 401(k) Calculator upload my salary or balance?
- No. The 401(k) Calculator runs entirely in your browser. The balance, salary, and rates you enter never leave your device and are not uploaded to ArrayKit.
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