Project your 401k at retirement from monthly contributions, employer match, raises and compound growth. See projected balance, principal and growth.
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Compound growth is the engine behind a 401k. Each month your balance earns interest at your chosen annual return divided by 12, and then your contribution and your employer's match are added. Because the interest itself becomes part of the balance and earns interest again, the curve bends upward — small early differences in balance snowball into large gaps by retirement.
The tool grows your account month by month. Each month your balance earns interest (your chosen annual return ÷ 12) and then your monthly contribution and your employer's match are added. Because earnings are added to the balance and earn interest in later months, the growth compounds — the later your money lands, the less time it has to compound, which is why starting early dominates.
Most employers match a percentage of what you contribute, up to a cap. For example a 5% match means your employer adds $0.05 for every dollar you put in, typically capped at 5% of your salary. This tool applies your match percentage to your monthly contribution and caps the monthly match at 5% of your monthly salary. The match is free money — you should always contribute at least enough to capture it fully.
A common long-run assumption is about 6–8% before inflation, based on historical stock-market averages. Use a higher number only if you are comfortable with more risk; use a lower one if your mix is conservative or you want a conservative estimate. The result is very sensitive to this figure over 30+ years, so treat the output as a projection, not a promise.
Your salary grows each year, and the employer match is tied to your salary (the cap is a percentage of pay). Raising your salary also usually means raising your contributions, so the monthly match can increase over time. The tool grows your salary by your annual raise percentage and recomputes the match each year so the projection reflects a realistic, growing income.
It is a projection, not a forecast. Actual returns depend on market performance, and fees, taxes, contribution limits and plan rules all affect the real outcome. The numbers here assume a constant return, fixed contributions and no fees, so use them for planning and comparison rather than as a precise target.
If you just finished with 401k Calculator, the natural next steps are FIRE Retirement Calculator, Compound Interest Calculator, Dollar-Cost Averaging (SIP) Calculator, or browse every tool in Cross-border Finance.