403(b) Retirement Calculator

403(b) vs 401(k)

A 403(b) is generally offered by public schools and certain tax-exempt organizations. A 401(k) is commonly offered by private-sector employers. Both can help employees save through payroll and may include employer contributions, but the investment choices, fees and plan provisions can differ. Check your own plan's documents for eligibility, available accounts, vesting and withdrawal rules rather than assuming that every workplace plan works the same way.

You may enter your employee contribution as a percentage of salary or as an annual dollar amount. The employer match has a separate match rate and a limit on the share of salary eligible for matching. Those fields describe different parts of the formula. An employer's offer to match a share of what you contribute does not mean it contributes that same share of your entire salary. Confirm both terms with the plan.

The projection adds employee contributions and the modeled employer match to the balance, then applies the assumed return at year end. Actual payroll deposits arrive throughout the year, so the timing is simplified. Optional salary growth changes future salary and percentage-based deposits. The starting salary-growth assumption is 0% and can be adjusted; it is not a forecast of raises or an employment promise.

The official 2026 elective deferral limit is $24,500, compared with $23,500 in 2025. The separate annual-additions limit is $72,000, subject to the compensation-based restriction, and the compensation limit is $360,000. The annual-additions rule under section 415(c) generally includes employee and employer contributions, excluding eligible catch-up contributions. The calculator's deferral cap does not replace a full plan-compliance review.

Catch-up contributions at 50 and at 60–63

The 2026 age-based catch-up is $8,000 for eligible participants age fifty or older. A higher catch-up of $11,250 applies at ages sixty through sixty-three when the relevant rules and plan provisions are met. The projection checks age each year, so the contribution cap can change as you enter or leave an eligible age range. A catch-up allowance is an opportunity to contribute more, not an automatic deposit.

If your requested employee contribution exceeds the modeled annual deferral allowance, the tool caps that contribution and shows a note. Your employer may impose additional requirements, and payroll administration determines actual permitted contributions. Contributions to other plans can also matter. Confirm your total deferrals with the administrator if you change jobs, participate in several plans or have unusual compensation.

The 2027 deferral limit is Not yet released. Future limits are set by the IRS each year; this projection holds the 2026 limit. Holding a known limit avoids presenting an unannounced increase as an official rule, but it can change the usefulness of a long projection. The special service-based 403(b) catch-up is not modeled. Consult the IRS 403(b) contribution-limit guidance and your administrator for eligibility; no service-based catch-up amount is assumed here.

Turning a balance into income

Future dollars and today's dollars answer different questions. The future balance is the account value under your selected growth assumptions. The inflation-adjusted balance translates that future value into today's purchasing power. Neither figure deducts future withdrawal taxes or guarantees what investments will earn. Compare scenarios with different return, inflation and contribution inputs before making a payroll decision you may find difficult to sustain.

When retirement gets closer, use how long will my money last to explore the duration of a spending plan. The retirement withdrawal calculator works from the other direction, comparing initial spending amounts and a target period. Carry over the projected balance carefully: choose the nominal or today's-dollar view consistently with the age and spending assumptions you enter.

A workplace balance is only part of retirement income. The Social Security COLA calculator explains the published benefit adjustment. Traditional-account withdrawals may also increase income used for Medicare premiums. Review the 2027 IRMAA brackets before assuming that a gross retirement distribution is all available to spend. Taxes, investment expenses, vesting and health costs deserve their own review alongside this projection.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• irs.gov — 401k limit increases to 24500 for 2026 ira limit increases to 7500
• irs.gov — retirement topics 401k and profit sharing plan contribution limits
• ssa.gov — lower irmaa

See every figure, status and verification date