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401(k) Employer Match Calculator
An employer match can turn a small change in your contribution rate into hundreds or thousands of additional retirement dollars each year. Enter the wording from your plan to see the employee contribution, employer match, and any match left unclaimed.
Employer match worksheet
Use the second tier for formulas such as 100% of the first 3% of pay, plus 50% of the next 2%.
How to translate your plan’s match formula
A formula that says “100% of the first 3%, then 50% of the next 2%” has two tiers. Enter 100 and 3 in the first tier, then 50 and 2 in the second. For a single-tier formula such as “50% of the first 6%,” enter 50 and 6 in the first tier and zeroes in the second.
What the maximum match means
The maximum is the employer contribution available under the formula at the salary entered. If your own contribution rate does not reach every tier, the difference appears as unclaimed match. The result is annual: payroll systems normally spread contributions across pay periods, and some plans require contributions in each period to receive the full match.
What this estimate does not include
Plans can limit eligible compensation, apply a true-up, impose a vesting schedule, or exclude some forms of pay. The optional employee cap changes your contribution estimate but does not independently enforce current tax-law limits. Compare the output with your summary plan description and payroll records before changing an election.
This calculator is educational, not personalized financial or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
What does a 50% match on the first 6% mean?
The employer contributes fifty cents for each dollar the employee contributes, up to employee contributions equal to 6% of pay.
Does this calculator apply the annual IRS contribution limit?
No. Plan rules and tax-year limits can differ. The calculator isolates the employer-match formula and lets you enter an optional employee contribution cap.