401(k) contribution and match calculator Are you getting your full employer match?
Enter your salary, personal contribution rate, and employer match formula to see how much you and your employer could add each month and year. See whether you are receiving the full available match and estimate what those employer contributions could grow to by retirement.
Your contribution and employer match
Example: a 100% match up to 4% means your employer adds $1 for each $1 you contribute, until your contribution reaches 4% of salary.
Retirement growth assumptions
Annual 401(k) contributions
You are receiving the full $3,000 employer match available under this formula.
Explore your 401(k) contribution and match
See how your contribution rate changes employer money and potential retirement growth.
How does your contribution rate change the employer match?
Compare five contribution rates using the same salary and employer match formula.
Once your contribution reaches the match limit, contributing more still increases your savings but does not increase the employer match under this formula.
| Your contribution rate | Your annual contribution | Employer match | Total added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 2% | $1,500 | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| 4% | $3,000 | $3,000 | $6,000 |
| 6% | $4,500 | $3,000 | $7,500 |
| 8% | $6,000 | $3,000 | $9,000 |
What could the employer match grow to by retirement?
This projection separates the future value of your contributions from the future value of employer contributions.
The employer match alone could grow to approximately $243,628 by age 65 under this steady return assumption.
Understand your employer match
Learn how match formulas work and what this estimate does not decide for you.
How does an employer match formula work?
The match rate tells you how much the employer adds for each dollar you contribute. The match limit tells you how much of your salary is eligible. With a 100% match up to 4%, contributing 4% receives the full available match. Contributing 2% receives half of it.
Does contributing above the match limit earn more employer money?
Not under the simple formula modeled here. Contributions above the match limit can still increase your retirement savings, but they do not increase the estimated employer match.
What does vesting mean for employer contributions?
Vesting determines when employer contributions fully belong to you. Some plans vest immediately. Others require you to remain employed for a period of time. Check your plan documents because this calculator assumes all entered employer contributions remain in the account.
401(k) match terms, explained
Get plain-language definitions for the salary, contribution, and employer match inputs.
Definitions of 401(k) match terms
- Annual salary
- The yearly pay used to translate contribution percentages into dollar amounts.
- Contribution rate
- The percentage of salary you choose to contribute from your own pay.
- Employer match rate
- How much your employer adds for each dollar you contribute. A 100% match means $1 from your employer for each $1 you contribute within the match limit.
- Match limit
- The highest percentage of salary your employer uses when calculating the match.
- Available employer match
- The most your employer could contribute under the entered salary and match formula.
- Missed employer match
- The part of the available employer match not received because your contribution rate is below the match limit.
- Vesting
- The plan rules that determine when employer contributions fully belong to you.
- Future value
- The estimated amount contributions could grow to by retirement using the entered return assumption.
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About this 401(k) match estimate
Review what is modeled, what is excluded, and why actual plan results may differ.
What the calculation includes
The estimate uses annual salary, your contribution rate, the employer match rate, and the match limit to calculate monthly and annual contributions.
How retirement growth is modeled
Contributions are added monthly and grow using an equivalent monthly return derived from the entered annual assumption. Salary and contribution rates remain unchanged throughout the projection.
What’s excluded
Taxes, fees, contribution limits, salary changes, contribution changes, withdrawals, plan-specific matching schedules, and vesting forfeitures are excluded.
Methodology, updated date, and disclaimer
The employer match is limited to the smaller of your contribution rate or the match limit, then multiplied by salary and the employer match rate. Read the methodology.
Updated August 26, 2026. This estimate is educational and is not financial advice or a guarantee of future performance. See the full disclaimer.