Does this include Social Security?

No. Social Security depends on your full earnings record, so the calculator leaves it out rather than guess. See your own estimate in your my Social Security account at ssa.gov and add it to the figure here.

What is the 401(k) limit?

Your own deferrals are capped at $24,500 a year, plus $8,000 from 50 and $11,250 at 60 to 63. Employee and employer money together are capped at $72,000.

When can I take money out of a 401(k) or IRA?

From age 59½ without the additional early-withdrawal tax, with some exceptions set by the IRS.

Is the income before or after tax?

Before tax. Withdrawals from traditional accounts are taxed as income, so the amount you keep will be lower.

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🇺🇸 401(k) · IRA

US retirement calculator

Your salary, your 401(k) and IRA: see the pot and the yearly income it could give, in today’s dollars.

7-day free trial · Not financial advice

Your numbersDrag, click anywhere on a bar, or tap a number to type it

Your age35

Salary

401(k) + IRA today

You put into the 401(k)6%

Capped each year at the IRS deferral limit (plus catch-up from 50).

Employer match4%

IRA contributions$3,000 / yr

Capped at the IRA limit for your age.

Retire at65

Growth after fees6%

Inflation3%

Estimated income a year from 65

$27,543

Pot at 65$688,576

Going in this year$11,500

Today’s money: growth 6% and inflation 3% a year by default (both editable). Pots are read as income at 4% a year. Gross, before tax. One person. An estimate, not advice. Social Security not included.
Illustration, not financial advice. Investments can fall as well as rise.

Move any slider: the figure above updates as you drag.

$27,543 / yr

Estimated income from 65 · Illustration, not advice

How US retirement saving works

Retirement income in the US usually comes from three places: Social Security, a workplace plan such as a 401(k), and an individual retirement account (IRA). This calculator covers the last two.

In a 401(k) you choose a percentage of pay to defer, and many employers add a match. The IRS caps your own deferrals at $24,500 a year, plus a catch-up of $8,000 from age 50 ($11,250 at ages 60 to 63). Your deferrals and the employer’s money together are capped at $72,000, and only the first $360,000 of pay counts. An IRA has its own limit of $7,500 a year, plus $1,100 from age 50.

Money taken out before age 59½ generally carries an additional early-withdrawal tax, so the calculator starts the income at 60 at the earliest.

What the calculator assumes

It uses the same IRS limits as the Moola app, held at today’s level in today’s dollars. Your deferrals go in first and the employer’s money fills the room left under the combined cap. The pot grows at your growth figure less inflation and is read as income at 4% a year. Social Security is not included.

The headline figure is the gross yearly income your pensions could give from the age shown, in today’s dollars, so it can be set against what you spend now. The tiles under it show the pot behind that income and a second figure for context. Move any slider to see how a later age, a higher contribution or a different growth figure changes the estimate.

Frequently asked questions

Does this include Social Security?: No. Social Security depends on your full earnings record, so the calculator leaves it out rather than guess. See your own estimate in your my Social Security account at ssa.gov and add it to the figure here.
What is the 401(k) limit?: Your own deferrals are capped at $24,500 a year, plus $8,000 from 50 and $11,250 at 60 to 63. Employee and employer money together are capped at $72,000.
When can I take money out of a 401(k) or IRA?: From age 59½ without the additional early-withdrawal tax, with some exceptions set by the IRS.
Is the income before or after tax?: Before tax. Withdrawals from traditional accounts are taxed as income, so the amount you keep will be lower.