Retirement Tools
401k Employer Match Calculator
See your employer match at your current contribution rate, and whether you are leaving free money on the table.
This is a rough estimate for education, not financial advice. Match formulas vary a lot by employer; check your plan document for the exact rules. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How this is calculated
Enter your plan's match rate and limit, for example "50% up to 6% of pay" means the match rate is 50% and the limit is 6%. The employer match is your contribution rate, capped at the limit, times the match rate, times your salary. If you contribute less than the limit, the calculator shows how much extra match you would get by contributing up to the limit.
Frequently asked questions
Why is unmatched contribution called "free money"?
An employer match is compensation you only receive if you contribute enough to earn it. Not contributing up to the match limit means giving up part of your pay.
Does this handle tiered match formulas?
No, only a single-tier formula. If your plan has multiple tiers (for example 100% up to 3%, then 50% up to 5%), run each tier separately and add the results.
Related: the Roth vs. Traditional calculator and the FIRE calculator.