401(k) Contribution Calculator
Estimate how much your 401(k) contributions, employer match, and investment growth could add up to over time. Compare contribution percentages vs fixed amounts, test annual IRS-style caps, and see how much employer match may be leaving on the table.
Burrow Tip: The fastest 401(k) win is often simple: contribute enough to capture the full employer match before doing anything fancy.
This calculator lets you see how your own contributions, employer match, and long-term compounding work together over the years.
Contribution and match assumptions
Contribution limits and catch-up assumptions
Scenario comparison
Burrow Tip: A useful 401(k) comparison is often “current contribution vs contribution high enough to capture full match” or “current contribution vs maxing the annual limit.”
Results
401(k) growth over time
Balance breakdown
401(k) summary
Projection table
| Year | Age | Date | Salary | Your contribution | Employer match | Growth | Ending balance | Cumulative total contributions |
|---|
401(k) timeline (Mermaid code)
If your site supports Mermaid elsewhere, you can paste this snippet into a Mermaid block. This tool does not load Mermaid.
How to use these results
401(k) planning becomes more useful when you separate the pieces: your own savings rate, the employer match, and long-term growth.
- Capture the full match first: if your contribution is below the match ceiling, that is often the highest-impact change you can make.
- Respect the annual cap: contribution percentages can grow with salary and may eventually hit the annual limit.
- Watch fee drag: even modest annual fees can meaningfully reduce long-run retirement balances.
- Use scenarios intelligently: compare your current path against higher contributions or later retirement to see which lever matters most.
This tool is best for planning and scenario analysis. Actual plan rules, employer match formulas, vesting schedules, and IRS limits may vary.