401k Match Calculator
Updated August 2026 — reflects the 2026 IRS limits.
The employer match is the highest-return money in investing — an instant 25–100% gain before the market does anything. Enter your salary and your plan’s match to see the minimum you must contribute to capture all of it, and what that free money is worth over a career.
Why the employer match matters most
Nothing else in investing offers a guaranteed, instant return like an employer match. A “100% up to 4%” match doubles your money the moment it lands — a 100% return before a single dollar is invested. That’s why capturing the full match is almost always the first move in retirement saving, ahead of paying down low-rate debt or investing elsewhere.
The one number to know: your full-match rate
Every match has a ceiling — the “match limit,” usually stated as a percent of salary. Contribute at least that much and you capture every matching dollar; contribute less and you leave free money behind. With a “100% up to 4%” plan, 4% is your full-match rate. This calculator shows yours, and exactly how much you forfeit each year by falling short.
A worked example
On a $70,000 salary with a “100% up to 4%” match, contributing 4% earns you a $2,800 match every year. Contribute just 2% and your match drops to $1,400 — you’ve left $1,400 a year on the table. Over a career the match is worth far more than the dollars deposited. Your employer would add about $169,000 of match over 35 years — but invested at 7% along the way, that captured match compounds into roughly $590,000 of your retirement balance. Money that started as your employer’s.
Common match formulas
Match formulas vary, but most reduce to a simple rule: contribute up to the limit to get everything. The two most common shapes are a full match on a smaller slice of pay, or a partial match on a larger slice — often worth the same total, but requiring a different contribution to max out.
- 100% up to 4% — a dollar per dollar on your first 4% of salary. Full-match rate: 4%.
- 50% up to 6% — fifty cents per dollar on your first 6%. Same 3% of salary in match, but you must contribute 6% to capture it all.
- Tiered — e.g. 100% on the first 3% and 50% on the next 2%. Enter your top matched percent as the match limit for a close estimate.
Vesting and true-ups
Your contributions are always yours; the match may vest over time — all at once after a few years (cliff) or gradually (graded). Leave early and you forfeit the unvested portion. Some plans also add a year-end true-up that pays any match you missed by front-loading contributions. The match is extra money on top of your $24,500 (2026) deferral limit — it counts only toward the higher $72,000 combined cap.
To see how your full match compounds alongside your own contributions all the way to retirement, use the main 401k calculator, or check how your balance compares to others your age on the 401(k) by age page.