401(k) Match Calculator

An employer 401(k) match is part of your pay — but only if you contribute enough to claim it. Enter your salary, your contribution percentage and your employer’s match formula (for example, 50% of your contribution up to 6% of salary) to see your yearly numbers and whether you are capturing the full match.

“50% match” means the employer adds 50 cents per dollar you contribute
The salary percentage the match applies up to — check your plan summary

Results

Assumptions: Contributions are spread evenly over the year and the match formula is applied annually; vesting schedules and IRS limits are not modeled.

Formula

The match is the smaller of two caps:
Match = min(Your contribution × Match%, Salary × Limit%)

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter your salary and the percentage you contribute.
  2. Enter your employer’s match percentage and the salary cap it applies to (from your plan documents).
  3. Press Calculate — the notes tell you if any match is being left unclaimed.
401(k) Match Calculator — how the calculation works, illustrated$
401(k) Match Calculator — how the calculation works, illustrated

Worked example

Salary $80,000, contributing 10%, employer matches 50% up to 6% of salary.

  1. Your contribution: $8,000.
  2. Raw match: 50% × 8,000 = $4,000.
  3. Cap check: 6% of salary = $4,800 — the $4,000 match is under the cap, so it stands.

Result: You contribute $8,000, your employer adds $4,000, and $12,000 goes in yearly.

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical match formula?

A common design is 50% of contributions up to 6% of pay (a maximum 3% from the employer), or 100% up to 3–4%. Formulas vary widely — your plan summary has the exact numbers to enter here.

Why contribute at least up to the match?

The match is an immediate 50–100% return on those dollars before any market growth — no ordinary investment offers that. Financial guidance almost universally starts with capturing the full match.

Does this account for vesting or contribution limits?

No. Employer matches may vest over several years, and the IRS caps total annual contributions (the cap changes yearly). Check your plan and the current IRS figures for those details.

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