401(k) calculator with employer match

An employer match is money added to your account for contributing your own, up to a plan-set limit - and it’s easy to under-contribute without realizing part of it goes unclaimed. This calculator projects your 401(k) balance from your contribution rate and the match formula, and flags any match you’re leaving on the table.

A "50% match" means the employer adds 50 cents per dollar you contribute, up to the cap below.

The point at which the employer stops matching, even if you contribute more.

How the math works

Your yearly contribution is your salary times your contribution percentage. The match only applies up to the plan’s cap - contributing beyond the cap percentage adds to your own balance but stops adding to the match. Each year, your contribution plus the match is added to the balance and the whole thing grows at the assumed rate. If your contribution rate sits below the match cap, the calculator shows exactly how much matched money you’re not collecting per year and over your full timeline - that gap is money the plan would otherwise add on top of what you put in, and it’s the first thing worth closing before increasing contributions further.

Start with how an employer 401(k) match works if the mechanics are new, and how catch-up contributions interact with the match if you’re 50 or older. Whether it’s worth stretching contributions to capture the full match walks through the trade-offs, and whether employer match counts toward the annual contribution limit clarifies a common point of confusion. Also see how 401(k) vesting works - match money isn’t always yours immediately.

Sources & further reading

This tool is a general educational estimate, not financial advice or a projection of actual plan performance. Match formulas, vesting rules, and contribution limits vary by employer and by year. See our disclaimer.