2027 401(k) Calculator401k calculator with match, by age, monthly payout and taxes on 401k withdrawals
Find out how much to contribute per paycheck to max out your 401(k) in 2027, how much your employer match adds, what your balance could grow to by retirement, how much it pays each month, and what you’d owe in tax if you withdraw early.
Built and fact-checked by Manzoor AhmadUpdated October 15, 2026
Balance and growth$60,000, 7%, retire at 67
Payout and taxes25 years, traditional, single
Your 2027 401(k) contributions
Age 45, $85,000 salary, paid every 2 weeks.
Your 401(k) at retirement
Projected balance by age.
Your 401(k) by age
Your projected balance against Fidelity’s savings guideline.
| Age | Projected balance | Salary that year | Times salary | Fidelity guideline |
|---|
Your monthly 401(k) payout
In today’s dollars, before and after federal income tax.
What this means for you
Writing about 2027 401(k) limits?
Download the 2026 and 2027 contribution limits as a spreadsheet file or copy a ready-made citation. A link back keeps this tool free and current.
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2027?
The 2027 401(k) contribution limit is $25,500 (projected; the IRS confirms it in November), up from $24,500 in 2026. Workers 50 and older can add a $8,500 catch-up contribution, for a total of $34,000, and workers aged 60 to 63 get a larger $11,750 super catch-up, for a total of $37,250. Including employer contributions, the total that can go into a 401(k) in 2027 is $75,000.
A 401(k) is a workplace retirement plan that takes money straight from your paycheck before you see it. In a traditional 401(k) that money isn’t taxed until you withdraw it; in a Roth 401(k) you pay tax now and withdraw it tax-free later. This 2027 401(k) calculator works as a simple 401k calculator for your per-paycheck contribution, a 401k calculator with match, a 401k calculator by age that projects your balance to retirement, a 401k monthly payout calculator, and a taxes on 401k withdrawal calculator, all in one place.
On this page
2027 401(k) contribution limits
These are the projected 2027 401(k) limits from Milliman’s near-final forecast, next to the official 2026 limits. The IRS sets them by formula from inflation data through September, and the September 2026 inflation report released on October 14 came in well above the level needed for these increases, so the figures are very likely to hold.
| Limit | 2026 (official) | 2027 (projected) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee contribution limit (401(k), 403(b), 457(b), TSP) | $24,500 | $25,500 | +$1,000 |
| Catch-up contribution, age 50 and older | $8,000 | $8,500 | +$500 |
| Super catch-up, ages 60 to 63 (replaces the age 50 catch-up) | $11,250 | $11,750 | +$500 |
| Total limit including employer money (415(c)) | $72,000 | $75,000 | +$3,000 |
| Compensation limit for contributions (401(a)(17)) | $360,000 | $375,000 | +$15,000 |
| Roth catch-up rule wage threshold (prior-year FICA wages) | $150,000 | $155,000 | +$5,000 |
| Most you can contribute at 50 to 59 or 64+ | $32,500 | $34,000 | +$1,500 |
| Most you can contribute at 60 to 63 | $35,750 | $37,250 | +$1,500 |
Why these are projections: the IRS usually announces next year’s retirement plan limits in early to mid-November. This page and the calculator will switch to the official numbers the day they’re published. Until then, plan with these figures; if they change, it will be by $500 at most.
The same employee limit applies to 403(b) plans, most 457(b) plans and the federal Thrift Savings Plan. If you have more than one job, the employee limit is shared across all your 401(k) and 403(b) plans, but each employer’s match counts toward its own plan’s total limit.
How much to contribute per paycheck to max out your 401(k) in 2027
Divide the yearly limit by the number of paychecks you get. If you start partway through the year, divide what’s left by the paychecks remaining. Check whether your plan offers a “true-up”: without one, maxing out early can cost you match on the paychecks where you stop contributing.
| Pay schedule | Under 50 ($25,500) | Ages 50 to 59 and 64+ ($34,000) | Ages 60 to 63 ($37,250) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $490.39 | $653.85 | $716.35 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $980.77 | $1,307.70 | $1,432.70 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,062.50 | $1,416.67 | $1,552.09 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,125.00 | $2,833.34 | $3,104.17 |
401(k) calculator with match: how employer matching works
An employer match is free money added to your account when you contribute. It’s usually stated as a match rate up to a share of your pay. The most common formula is 50% of the first 6% you contribute, which works out to 3% of your salary. If you contribute less than the match ceiling, you leave part of it unclaimed. Here’s what common formulas are worth on a $75,000 salary when you contribute enough to get the full match:
| Match formula | You contribute at least | Employer adds per year | Enter in the calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% of the first 6% | 6% | $2,250 | 50% up to 6% |
| 100% of the first 3% | 3% | $2,250 | 100% up to 3% |
| 100% of the first 4% | 4% | $3,000 | 100% up to 4% |
| 100% of the first 3%, then 50% of the next 2% (safe harbor) | 5% | $3,000 | 80% up to 5% |
| 100% of the first 6% | 6% | $4,500 | 100% up to 6% |
| 25% of the first 6% | 6% | $1,125 | 25% up to 6% |
Many plans have a vesting schedule, so employer money may not be fully yours until you’ve worked there a few years. Your own contributions are always 100% yours.
401(k) calculator by age: how much should you have saved?
Fidelity’s widely used guideline is to have saved a multiple of your salary by each age, counting all your retirement accounts. The calculator compares your projected balance with these milestones. Here’s what they mean on a $75,000 salary:
| By age | Savings goal | On a $75,000 salary |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1× your salary | $75,000 |
| 35 | 2× your salary | $150,000 |
| 40 | 3× your salary | $225,000 |
| 45 | 4× your salary | $300,000 |
| 50 | 6× your salary | $450,000 |
| 55 | 7× your salary | $525,000 |
| 60 | 8× your salary | $600,000 |
| 67 | 10× your salary | $750,000 |
For a sense of where people actually are, Fidelity reported an average 401(k) balance of $155,800 in the second quarter of 2026, with a combined employee and employer savings rate of 14.4%. Averages are pulled up by large accounts, so the typical saver has less. Falling behind isn’t fatal: catch-up contributions from age 50, and the larger catch-up at 60 to 63, exist to help you close the gap.
Roth vs traditional 401(k), and the Roth catch-up rule
Contributions come out before income tax, which cuts your tax bill now at your marginal rate. Withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income.
Contributions are taxed now, but qualified withdrawals after age 59½ (and five years) are tax-free, including all the growth. Roth 401(k)s have no required minimum distributions.
A traditional account usually wins if your tax rate now is higher than you expect in retirement; a Roth usually wins if you’re early in your career or expect a higher rate later. Splitting between the two is a reasonable hedge. Since 2026, there’s a new rule: if you earned more than $150,000 in FICA wages the year before (projected $155,000 for the 2027 rule), any catch-up contributions you make must go into the Roth side of the plan. Your regular contributions can still be traditional.
To see exactly what a traditional contribution saves at your income, check your bracket with our 2027 tax bracket calculator.
401(k) payout calculator: how much will your 401(k) pay each month?
The 401k monthly payout calculator above spreads your balance evenly over the number of years you choose, while the rest stays invested. Here’s what each $100,000 of savings pays per month:
| Return while withdrawing | Over 20 years | Over 25 years | Over 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4% a year | $606 a month | $528 a month | $477 a month |
| 5% a year | $660 a month | $585 a month | $537 a month |
| 6% a year | $716 a month | $644 a month | $600 a month |
A simpler rule of thumb is the 4% rule: withdraw 4% of your starting balance in the first year, then raise it with inflation. That’s $333 a month per $100,000. Whatever you choose, required minimum distributions (RMDs) force withdrawals from traditional accounts starting at age 73, or 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. Bigger withdrawals can also raise your Medicare premiums two years later; see our 2027 IRMAA calculator.
Taxes on 401(k) withdrawals
Traditional 401(k) withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income in the year you take them, stacked on top of your other income. Before age 59½ you usually also owe a 10% early withdrawal penalty. When you cash out, your plan must withhold 20% for federal tax, which may be more or less than you actually owe. Here’s an example of a $20,000 early withdrawal at age 45:
- Federal income tax: the $20,000 is added to $60,000 of wages for a single filer, so it’s taxed mostly at 22%: about $3,538.
- Early withdrawal penalty: 10% of $20,000, or $2,000.
- State income tax at 5%: $1,000 (rates vary from 0% to over 13% by state).
- What you keep: about $13,462, so the withdrawal costs 33% of what you take out.
- Withholding: the plan withholds $4,000 (20%) up front, so this person would owe about $1,538 more when filing, plus state tax.
Ways to avoid the 10% penalty
- The rule of 55: if you leave your job in or after the year you turn 55 (50 for public safety workers), withdrawals from that employer’s plan are penalty-free.
- Disability or terminal illness, and payments to a beneficiary after death.
- Substantially equal periodic payments (72(t)), taken for at least five years or until 59½, whichever is longer.
- Up to $5,000 per child for a qualified birth or adoption, and one emergency withdrawal of up to $1,000 a year.
- Medical bills above 7.5% of adjusted gross income, an IRS levy, or a qualified domestic relations order in a divorce.
Often a better option is a 401(k) loan, which avoids tax and penalty if you repay it on time, or a hardship withdrawal if your plan allows it (hardship withdrawals are still taxed and usually penalized). If you’re leaving a job, a direct rollover to an IRA or your new plan avoids tax entirely.
How this 401(k) calculator works
Your contribution salary × your % (capped at the yearly limit for your age)
Employer match salary × min(your %, match ceiling) × match rate
Each year balance × (1 + return) + new money × (1 + return ÷ 2)
Monthly payout balance × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)^−months)
New money is credited halfway through each year, because contributions arrive with every paycheck. Your salary grows by the raise you enter, and the contribution limits rise with inflation in later years. Payout figures are in today’s dollars, using your retirement return minus inflation, and federal tax uses the current brackets as an approximation of future ones.
Worked example
- The saver: age 45, earning $85,000, paid every two weeks, with $60,000 already in a traditional 401(k) and an employer match of 50% up to 6%.
- Contributions in 2027: 8% of pay is $6,800 a year, or $262 per paycheck. The employer adds $2,550, the full match.
- Tax saved now: the pre-tax contributions cut 2027 federal income tax by about $1,496.
- At 67: with 7% returns and 3% raises, the balance reaches about $874,111, or $507,740 in today’s dollars. Investment growth makes up $528,593 of it.
- Monthly payout: spread over 25 years at 5% returns, that’s about $2,262 a month in today’s dollars, or $2,192 after federal income tax.
Related calculators
Plan the rest of your retirement with these free DexoCalc tools.
2027 401(k) FAQs
The 2027 401(k) contribution limit is $25,500 for employee contributions (projected), up from $24,500 in 2026. It also applies to 403(b) plans, most 457(b) plans and the Thrift Savings Plan.
Workers aged 50 and older can contribute an extra $8,500 in 2027, for a total of $34,000. Workers who turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 during the year can instead contribute an extra $11,750, for a total of $37,250.
Divide $25,500 by your number of paychecks: about $980.77 a paycheck if you’re paid every two weeks, $1,062.50 twice a month, or $2,125.00 monthly. Add the catch-up amount if you’re 50 or older.
Your employer adds money based on what you contribute, up to a limit. With a 50% match up to 6% of pay, contributing 6% of a $75,000 salary ($4,500) earns a $2,250 match. Contributing less than the ceiling leaves free money unclaimed. The 401k calculator with match above shows exactly how much you get.
Fidelity suggests saving about 1 times your salary by 30, 3 times by 40, 6 times by 50, 8 times by 60 and 10 times by 67, across all retirement accounts. The 401k calculator by age projects your balance at each milestone.
Each $100,000 pays about $585 a month over 25 years at a 5% return, or about $333 a month using the 4% rule. The 401k monthly payout calculator above uses your own balance, payout period and return, and shows the amount after federal tax.
Traditional 401(k) withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income at your federal bracket rate, plus state income tax. Before age 59½ you usually owe an extra 10% penalty. A $20,000 early withdrawal for a single filer earning $60,000 costs about $3,538 in federal tax, $2,000 in penalty and $1,000 in 5% state tax.
If you leave your job in or after the calendar year you turn 55, you can withdraw from that employer’s 401(k) without the 10% penalty. Income tax still applies, and the rule doesn’t cover IRAs or plans from earlier jobs.
Federal law requires plans to withhold 20% of a distribution that could have been rolled over. It’s a prepayment of your tax, not the final amount; you settle the difference when you file. A direct rollover avoids the withholding.
Traditional contributions lower your tax now; Roth contributions are taxed now but come out tax-free in retirement. Roth tends to suit younger or lower-bracket workers, traditional suits peak earners. Many people split contributions between both.
Starting in 2026, workers aged 50 and older who earned more than $150,000 in FICA wages the previous year must make their catch-up contributions as Roth (after-tax). The threshold is projected to rise to $155,000 for 2027.
Required minimum distributions from traditional 401(k)s start at 73 if you were born from 1951 to 1959, and at 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. If you’re still working and don’t own 5% of the company, you can usually delay RMDs from your current employer’s plan until you retire. Roth 401(k)s have no RMDs.
It applies the 2027 contribution limits (projected), the SECURE 2.0 catch-up rules and the projected 2027 federal tax brackets. Growth and payout figures are projections that depend on the return you enter; actual results will vary.
Manzoor Ahmad
Founder of DexoCalc, 13+ years of web development and SEO experience
Manzoor designs, codes and tests every DexoCalc calculator himself. For this tool he used the official 2026 limits from IRS Notice 2025-67, Milliman’s near-final 2027 projections and the SECURE 2.0 catch-up rules, and checked the projections and withdrawal taxes against independent hand calculations. Read more about Manzoor.
Sources and methodology
- Internal Revenue Service, 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits and exceptions to the tax on early distributions.
- Internal Revenue Service, Required minimum distributions.
- Plan Sponsor Council of America, 2027 retirement plan limits near final projection (Milliman forecast, September 2026).
- Fidelity Investments, Q2 2026 retirement analysis and its savings-by-age guideline.
- 2027 federal tax brackets as published on our tax bracket calculator, based on Bloomberg Tax projections and IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32.
This 2027 401(k) calculator provides estimates for education and planning, not investment, tax or legal advice. The 2027 limits are projections until the IRS announces them in November 2026; 2026 limits are official. Projections assume a constant return and don’t account for fees, vesting, plan-specific rules or changes in tax law. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the IRS or any plan provider.