401(k) Match Calculator

Calculate employer match, total contributions and long term growth.

About 401(k) Match Calculator

A 50 per cent match up to 6 per cent of salary means contributing less than 6 per cent forfeits employer money outright. That match is an immediate return no investment can reliably match. Contributing below the match limit is almost always the largest single financial mistake available in an employment package, since the forgone money compounds for decades.

Formula

401(k) Match

Match = min(your contribution, salary × limit) × match rate; balance compounds annually

match limit: The share of salary up to which the employer matches
match left on table: Employer money forgone by contributing below the limit

Worked example

With the default values below, 401(k) Match Calculator returns Projected Balance at Retirement of $578,100.01. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Annual salaryminimum 0: 68,000
Your contributionaccepts 0–100 %: 6 %
Employer match rateaccepts 0–200 %: 50 %
Match limit as a share of salaryaccepts 0–30 %: 6 %
Expected annual returnaccepts 0–20 %: 7 %
Years to retirementaccepts 0–60 years: 30 years

Results

Projected Balance at Retirement: $578,100.01
Annual Employer Match: $2,040.00
Total Annual Contribution: $6,120.00
Employer Match Not Claimed: $0.00
Immediate Return From the Match: 50.00%

Step by step

1Values used
2401(k) Match
3Projected Balance at Retirement= 578,100.01
4Annual Employer Match= 2,040.00
5Total Annual Contribution= 6,120.00
6Employer Match Not Claimed= 0.00
7Immediate Return From the Match= 50.00

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 6 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or fees or charges into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Retirement account rules, contribution limits and vesting schedules vary by plan and jurisdiction and change over time. Investment returns are not guaranteed. This is not financial advice; consult your plan documents and a qualified adviser.
This is an estimate for general information and not professional financial, tax or legal advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Retirement account rules, contribution limits and vesting schedules vary by plan and jurisdiction and change over time. Investment returns are not guaranteed. This is not financial advice; consult your plan documents and a qualified adviser.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is 401(k) Match calculated?

Match = min(your contribution, salary × limit) × match rate; balance compounds annually A 50 per cent match up to 6 per cent of salary means contributing less than 6 per cent forfeits employer money outright. That match is an immediate return no investment can reliably match.

Why does 401(k) Match matter?

Contributing below the match limit is almost always the largest single financial mistake available in an employment package, since the forgone money compounds for decades.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 6 inputs: Annual salary, Your contribution, Employer match rate, Match limit as a share of salary, Expected annual return, Years to retirement. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.