401(k) Contribution Limit Calculator 2026
Estimate how much employee contribution room you still have in 2026 and how the employer side fits inside the annual additions limit.
Last updated: April 4, 2026
Calculator
This calculator is built for common 401(k) planning. Plan-specific payroll rules, true-up policies, and after-tax contribution features can change the exact result.
2026 limits used
- Employee elective deferral limit: $24,500
- Catch-up contribution age 50 and older: $8,000
- Higher catch-up ages 60 to 63: $11,250
- Annual additions limit excluding catch-up: $72,000
- Maximum total with standard catch-up: $80,000
- Maximum total ages 60 to 63: $83,250
How to use the result
The employee room figure is the amount you can still defer from pay in 2026 under the current IRS limit for your age. The annual additions room is different. That second number tracks the combined bucket for employee non-catch-up deferrals plus employer contributions and certain after-tax amounts.
If your plan offers match or profit sharing, do not confuse that with your personal employee deferral limit. Employer contributions do not reduce the $24,500 employee cap, but they do count inside the $72,000 annual additions bucket.
Examples
Age 35, steady payroll pace
If you have contributed $5,000 so far, your remaining employee room is $19,500. If you have 20 paychecks left, a rough even pacing target is $975 per paycheck.
Age 52, catch-up eligible
An age-52 participant starts with a $32,500 employee cap for 2026. That creates more room than a younger participant even though the annual additions bucket still handles catch-up separately.
Ages 60 to 63
If you are in the higher catch-up window, your employee cap rises to $35,750. That can materially change year-end catch-up planning.
How people usually use this calculator
This tool is most useful when you are trying to answer one of three practical questions: how much employee room is left, whether your current payroll pace will get you to the annual target, and whether employer contributions are starting to matter for the annual additions bucket. Those are different questions, which is why the calculator shows both the employee side and the broader plan side.
It is especially helpful after a midyear job change or when you want to adjust your payroll elections for the rest of the year. In those cases, a simple remaining-room estimate is often more useful than a long explanation of the tax code.
Why the per-paycheck number matters
The per-paycheck target is not a legal requirement. It is a pacing tool. Many people would rather spread contributions evenly across the rest of the year than guess at a new payroll percentage without knowing the annual math. That becomes even more important if the plan matches contributions by paycheck and does not offer a generous year-end true-up.
Common mistakes
- Thinking employer match counts against the employee elective deferral limit.
- Forgetting that ages 60 to 63 use a different catch-up amount in 2026.
- Assuming switching jobs creates a brand-new employee deferral limit.
- Ignoring plan rules on payroll timing or true-up matching.
Related pages
FAQ
Does Roth 401(k) change the dollar limit?
No. Roth and Traditional 401(k) deferrals share the same annual employee limit.
Does this calculator show the final tax savings?
No. It estimates contribution room, not the final income-tax result.
Does employer match reduce the employee room shown here?
No. Employer match affects the annual additions bucket, not the employee elective deferral limit shown in the remaining-room line.