401(k) Employer Match Calculator
See how much free money your employer match is worth.
Enter your values
ⓘ Live results
Results
- Your annual contribution
- $4,800.00
- Annual employer match
- $2,400.00
- Capturing full match?
- Yes
- Match growth over 25 years
- $151,797.69
Quick answer
Contributing at least enough to capture the full employer match is typically the highest guaranteed return available in a retirement plan.
Match = min(your contribution %, match cap %) x salary x match rate
How to use the 401(k) Employer Match Calculator
- 1Enter your salary and current contribution rate.
- 2Enter your employer's match rate and the salary percentage it's capped at.
- 3Increase your contribution rate to at least the cap to avoid leaving free money on the table.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Annual salary80000 $
- Your contribution rate6 %
- Employer match rate50 % of your contribution
- Employer match cap6 % of salary
- Years until retirement25 years
- Assumed annual return7 %
Results
- Your annual contribution$4,800.00
- Annual employer match$2,400.00
- Capturing full match?Yes
- Match growth over 25 years$151,797.69
Frequently asked questions
Is the employer match guaranteed money?
Once vested, yes — it's often described as an immediate, guaranteed return you can't easily match elsewhere.
What is vesting?
Some plans require years of service before employer contributions fully belong to you — check your plan's vesting schedule.
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by James Whitfield · How we build and test calculators
- Report an error
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.