$
$
%
Share of your pay, before tax or Roth
%
Of what you put in
%
Of your pay
More options· 6% growth, 3% pay rises
%
A year, after fees
%
A year
%
A year
At 67 you could have
$2,102,405
Putting in 10% of your pay, with your employer adding 3%
- In today’s money
- $843,205
- Yearly income at 4%, in today’s money
- $33,728
- What you have now$25,000
- You put in$496,307
- Your employer adds$148,892
- Investment growth$1,432,206
What this means
About 68% of it is investment growth, not money you put in. The earlier you start, the longer each contribution has to grow.
Your employer adds $148,892 over the years: extra pay you only get by saving yourself.
Prices will rise, so $2,102,405 in 37 years buys about what $843,205 buys today.
Year by year
| Age | Salary | You | Employer | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | $84,413 | $8,441 | $2,532 | $93,197 |
| 40 | $97,858 | $9,786 | $2,936 | $193,976 |
| 45 | $113,444 | $11,344 | $3,403 | $339,872 |
| 50 | $131,513 | $13,151 | $3,945 | $547,901 |
| 55 | $152,460 | $15,246 | $4,574 | $841,116 |
| 60 | $176,742 | $17,674 | $5,302 | $1,250,689 |
| 65 | $204,893 | $20,489 | $6,147 | $1,818,712 |
| 67 | $217,371 | $21,737 | $6,521 | $2,102,405 |
This year (2026 limits)
| You put in | $7,500 |
| Your employer adds | $2,250 |
| Your limit at 30 | $24,500 |
Saving 1% more of your pay adds about $145,116 by 67.
Assumptions in this estimate
- Contributions go in monthly and grow by 6% a year, and your pay rises by 3% a year. “In today’s money” takes off 2.5% inflation a year.
- Limits stay at 2026 levels: $24,500 for you, plus $8,000 from age 50 ($11,250 at 60 to 63, if your plan allows), and $72,000 for you and your employer together. They usually rise each year.
- If you earned over $150,000 from your employer last year, catch-up contributions must go in as Roth.
- Your employer’s match is worked out on pay up to $360,000, the most a plan can count in 2026.
- Employer contributions often “vest” over a few years: if you leave your job before then, you may lose some of them. Your own contributions are always yours.
- The 4% figure is a common rule of thumb for how much you could take out each year in retirement. Taxes on withdrawals aren’t included.
- Investment returns go up and down. This shows a steady average, not a guarantee.