★ MONEY · 401(K) CATCH-UP CALCULATOR · MAX OUT YOUR 2026 PLAN
Your 2026 max deferral is $35,750.00: the $24,500.00 base plus an $11,250.00 super catch-up, saving $2,475.00 a year in tax and growing to $80,474.52 over 6 years at 7%. Put in your age, salary, current deferral, employer match, return, years to retirement, and marginal tax rate, and the calculator works out your max deferral, your catch-up, the room you have left, the tax saved, and what the catch-up grows to — with the 2026 limits from IRS Notice 2025-67.
Workers 50 and older may defer more than the 2026 base limit of $24,500: $8,000 extra from age 50, and $11,250 extra at ages 60–63 — the “super catch-up,” which replaces the $8,000 rather than stacking on top of it. At 64 you drop back to the $8,000 catch-up. The age band is by your age on December 31, 2026. From 2026, employees whose prior-year FICA wages from the same employer exceeded $150,000 must make catch-up contributions as Roth.
On the defaults — age 61, a $120,000.00 salary, a $24,500.00 current deferral, a 3% employer match, a 7% return, 6 years to retirement, and a 22% marginal tax rate — the 2026 max deferral is $35,750.00, the catch-up is $11,250.00, the room left is $11,250.00, the tax saved is $2,475.00 a year, the future value of the catch-up is $80,474.52, the employer match is $3,600.00, the total annual additions are $39,350.00, the monthly payroll deferral to max out is $2,979.17, and the Roth catch-up mandate is No. The whole calculation is six moves: find the age band, add the catch-up to the $24,500.00 base, subtract what you already defer, multiply the catch-up by your tax rate, project the catch-up forward, and divide the max by 12.
Seven things about the model are worth stating plainly. First, the 2026 base limit is $24,500.00 — that is the employee elective deferral limit for everyone, before any catch-up. Second, the age-50+ catch-up is $8,000.00, so the max at 50–59 is $32,500.00. Third, the ages 60–63 “super catch-up” is $11,250.00, so the max is $35,750.00 — and it replaces the $8,000.00, it does not stack on top of it. Fourth, at 64 you drop back to the $8,000.00 catch-up and a $32,500.00 max. Fifth, total annual additions (your deferral plus the employer match) are capped at $72,000.00, and the catch-up does not count toward that cap. Sixth, from 2026, employees whose prior-year FICA wages from the same employer exceeded $150,000.00 must make catch-up contributions as Roth — which saves $0 in tax now. And seventh, the return is assumed constant — real returns vary year to year, and this calculator does not model plan fees. The limits are from IRS Notice 2025-67 / IR-2025-111.
Setup: age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, employer match 3%, annual return 7%, 6 years to retirement, marginal tax rate 22%.
Line 1 — find the age band. At 61 you are in the ages 60–63 band, so your catch-up is the super catch-up of $11,250.00.
Line 2 — add the catch-up to the base. Your max deferral is $24,500.00 + $11,250.00 = $35,750.00.
Line 3 — subtract what you already defer. The room left is $35,750.00 − $24,500.00 = $11,250.00.
Line 4 — multiply the catch-up by your tax rate. The tax saved is $11,250.00 × 22% = $2,475.00 a year — but only for pre-tax deferrals; a Roth catch-up saves $0 now.
Line 5 — project the catch-up forward. The annuity factor at 7% over 6 years is ((1.07)6 − 1) ÷ 0.07 = 7.1532907, so $11,250.00 × 7.1532907 = $80,474.52.
Line 6 — divide the max by 12 and check the caps. The monthly payroll deferral to max out is $35,750.00 ÷ 12 = $2,979.17. The employer match is $120,000.00 × 3% = $3,600.00, so total annual additions are $35,750.00 + $3,600.00 = $39,350.00, under the $72,000.00 cap. The salary is $120,000.00, below the $150,000.00 prior-year FICA wage threshold, so the Roth mandate is No. Rounding convention: totals are computed from unrounded values, so rounded parts may differ by a cent from their rounded sum.
Age 55: Age 55, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $32,500.00, catch-up $8,000.00, room $8,000.00, tax saved $1,760.00, future value $57,226.33, match $3,600.00, total additions $36,100.00, monthly $2,708.33, Roth mandate No — at 55 the catch-up is the regular $8,000.00, not the super catch-up, so the max is $32,500.00, the tax saved is $1,760.00, and the future value is $57,226.33.
Age 45: Age 45, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $24,500.00, catch-up $0.00, room $0.00, tax saved $0.00, future value $0.00, match $3,600.00, total additions $28,100.00, monthly $2,041.67, Roth mandate No — under 50 there is no catch-up at all, so the max is the $24,500.00 base and the tax saved and future value of the catch-up are both $0.00.
Age 64: Age 64, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $32,500.00, catch-up $8,000.00, room $8,000.00, tax saved $1,760.00, future value $57,226.33, match $3,600.00, total additions $36,100.00, monthly $2,708.33, Roth mandate No — the super catch-up ends at 63, so at 64 you are back to the $8,000.00 catch-up and the $32,500.00 max.
Return 5%: Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 5.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $76,521.52, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No — two points less return costs $3,953.00 of future value over 6 years, from $80,474.52 to $76,521.52.
15 years to retirement: Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 15 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $282,701.50, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No — nine more years more than triples the catch-up’s future value, from $80,474.52 to $282,701.50, on the same $11,250.00 a year. Years is the strongest lever in the plan.
Tax rate 12%: Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 12.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $1,350.00, future value $80,474.52, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No — the tax rate never changes the max or the future value; it only cuts the tax saved, from $2,475.00 to $1,350.00.
Salary $160,000: Age 61, salary $160,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $80,474.52, match $4,800.00, total additions $40,550.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate Yes — at $160,000 the prior-year FICA wages exceed $150,000, so the catch-up must be Roth and the $2,475.00 of tax saved disappears; the match rises to $4,800.00 and total additions to $40,550.00.
Current deferral for $5,000 of room left: $30,750.00 — the exact current deferral is $30750.0000. At $30,750.00 the room left is $5,000.00. The star is DOLLARS.
Marginal rate for $3,000 a year of tax saved: 26.67% — the exact rate is 26.6667%. At the displayed 26.67% the tax saved is $3,000.38, which does NOT land exactly on $3,000.00 — that is correct under the continuous convention, because the displayed value is rounded to two decimals. 26.66% gives $2,999.25; 26.68% gives $3,001.50. The star is a PERCENT.
Years for the catch-up future value to reach $100,000: 8 years — the smallest term that gets there. At 8 years the future value is $115,422.78; 7 years gives $97,357.74, short of $100,000.00. This is a step reverse: years come in whole numbers, so there is no exact 7-point-something. The star is YEARS.
Return for a $150,000 future value in 10 years: 6.24% — the exact return is 6.2448%. At the displayed 6.24% the future value is $149,965.89, which does NOT land exactly on $150,000.00 — that is correct under the continuous convention. 6.23% gives $149,895.38; 6.25% gives $150,036.44. The displayed rate is a 2dp percent. The star is a PERCENT.
Catch-up amount for $2,000 a year of tax saved: $9,090.91 — the exact catch-up is $9090.9091. At $9,090.91 the tax saved is $2,000.00. The star is DOLLARS.
Return for a $100,000 future value in 6 years: 15.61% — the exact return is 15.6070%. At the displayed 15.61% the future value is $100,007.50, which does NOT land exactly on $100,000.00 — that is correct under the continuous convention. 15.60% gives $99,982.26; 15.62% gives $100,032.74. The displayed rate is a 2dp percent. The star is a PERCENT.
The defaults are age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years to retirement, tax 22.00% — max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $80,474.52, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. With a $0 current deferral, Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $0.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $35,750.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $80,474.52, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No — the whole max is room. With a 0% return, Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 0.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $67,500.00, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No — 6 × $11,250.00 with no growth. With the max already deferred, Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $35,750.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $0.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $80,474.52, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No — there is nothing left to gain. With 1 year to retirement, Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 1 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $11,250.00, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. With age 59 vs 60, Age 59, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $32,500.00, catch-up $8,000.00, room $8,000.00, tax saved $1,760.00, future value $57,226.33, match $3,600.00, total additions $36,100.00, monthly $2,708.33, Roth mandate No against Age 60, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $80,474.52, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No — turning 60 adds $23,248.19 of catch-up value over 6 years. With a $360,000 salary, Age 61, salary $360,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $80,474.52, match $10,800.00, total additions $46,550.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate Yes — the compensation cap, and the Roth mandate is Yes. Rounding convention: totals are computed from unrounded values, so rounded parts may differ by a cent from their rounded sum.
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Age | input, age on December 31, 2026 | 61. |
| Annual salary | input | $120,000.00. |
| Current annual deferral | input | $24,500.00. |
| Employer match | input | 3.00%. |
| Annual return | input | 7.00%. |
| Years to retirement | input, whole years | 6 years. |
| Marginal tax rate | input | 22.00%. |
| 2026 max deferral | $24,500 + catch-up for the age band | $35,750.00. |
| Catch-up amount | max − $24,500 | $11,250.00. |
| Room left | max − current deferral, floor $0 | $11,250.00. |
| Tax saved per year | catch-up × marginal rate | $2,475.00. |
| Future value of the catch-up | catch-up × ((1+r)N − 1) ÷ r | $80,474.52. |
| Employer match | salary × match % | $3,600.00. |
| Total annual additions | max + employer match | $39,350.00. |
| Monthly payroll deferral to max out | max ÷ 12 | $2,979.17. |
| Roth catch-up mandate | salary > $150,000 prior-year FICA wages | No. |
| Current deferral for $5,000 of room left | exact $30750.0000 | $30,750.00 → $30,750.00. |
| $0.01 less than the R1 star | $30,749.99 | —. |
| $0.01 more than the R1 star | $30,750.01 | —. |
| Marginal rate for $3,000 a year of tax saved | exact 26.6667% | 26.67% → 26.67%. |
| 0.01pp below the R2 star | 26.66% | Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 26.66%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,999.25, future value $80,474.52, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. |
| 0.01pp above the R2 star | 26.68% | Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 26.68%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $3,001.50, future value $80,474.52, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. |
| Years for the catch-up future value to reach $100,000 | smallest whole years with future value ≥ $100,000 | 8 years → 8 years. |
| One year less than the R3 star | 7 years | Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 7 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $97,357.74, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. |
| One year more than the R3 star | 9 years | —. |
| Return for a $150,000 future value in 10 years | exact 6.2448% | 6.24% → 6.24%. |
| 0.01pp below the R4 star | 6.23% | Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 6.23%, 10 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $149,895.38, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. |
| 0.01pp above the R4 star | 6.25% | Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 6.25%, 10 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $150,036.44, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. |
| Catch-up amount for $2,000 a year of tax saved | exact $9090.9091 | $9,090.91 → $9,090.91. |
| At the R5 star | catch-up × 22% | Catch-up $9,090.91 at 22%: tax saved $2,000.00. |
| $0.01 less than the R5 star | $9,090.90 | —. |
| $0.01 more than the R5 star | $9,090.92 | —. |
| Return for a $100,000 future value in 6 years | exact 15.6070% | 15.61% → 15.61%. |
| 0.01pp below the R6 star | 15.60% | Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 15.60%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $99,982.26, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. |
| 0.01pp above the R6 star | 15.62% | Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 15.62%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $100,032.74, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. |
| Age 55 | same model | Age 55, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $32,500.00, catch-up $8,000.00, room $8,000.00, tax saved $1,760.00, future value $57,226.33, match $3,600.00, total additions $36,100.00, monthly $2,708.33, Roth mandate No. |
| Age 45 | same model | Age 45, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $24,500.00, catch-up $0.00, room $0.00, tax saved $0.00, future value $0.00, match $3,600.00, total additions $28,100.00, monthly $2,041.67, Roth mandate No. |
| Age 64 | same model | Age 64, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $32,500.00, catch-up $8,000.00, room $8,000.00, tax saved $1,760.00, future value $57,226.33, match $3,600.00, total additions $36,100.00, monthly $2,708.33, Roth mandate No. |
| Return 5% | same model | Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 5.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $76,521.52, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. |
| 15 years to retirement | same model | Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 15 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $282,701.50, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. |
| Tax rate 12% | same model | Age 61, salary $120,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 12.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $1,350.00, future value $80,474.52, match $3,600.00, total additions $39,350.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate No. |
| Salary $160,000 | same model | Age 61, salary $160,000.00, current deferral $24,500.00, match 3.00%, return 7.00%, 6 years, tax 22.00%: max $35,750.00, catch-up $11,250.00, room $11,250.00, tax saved $2,475.00, future value $80,474.52, match $4,800.00, total additions $40,550.00, monthly $2,979.17, Roth mandate Yes. |
The math is first-principles: the max deferral is the 2026 base of $24,500.00 plus the catch-up for your age band ($0 under 50, $8,000.00 at 50–59 or 64+, $11,250.00 at 60–63); the room left is the max minus your current deferral, floored at $0; the tax saved is the catch-up times your marginal rate; the future value is the catch-up times the year-end annuity factor ((1 + return)years − 1) ÷ return; the employer match is salary times the match percent; total annual additions are the max plus the match; and the monthly payroll amount is the max divided by 12. Every figure is rounded to cents half-up, and the totals are computed from unrounded values, so rounded parts may differ by a cent from their rounded sum. What the model cannot do is tell you what YOUR plan will earn: it assumes a constant return, and real returns vary year to year; it does NOT model plan fees, which eat into the growth; it does NOT model the employer match formula your plan actually uses (many plans match only up to a percent of pay, or vest over time); it treats the $150,000.00 Roth threshold as your salary, while the rule looks at prior-year FICA wages from the same employer; it does NOT model the $360,000.00 compensation cap on the salary that can count toward the match, or the $72,000.00 total-additions cap as a binding limit — it only reports the total against it; and it does NOT model state taxes, required minimum distributions, or what happens if you leave the employer. The limits are the 2026 figures from IRS Notice 2025-67 / IR-2025-111. Use it to size your catch-up, then check your plan’s match formula and vesting schedule before you change your deferral.
Bright Side Kit. "401(k) Catch-Up Calculator: Max Out Your 2026 Plan" https://brightoolbox.com/401k-catch-up-calculator/ Accessed October 26, 2026.$24,500.00 under 50, $32,500.00 at 50–59, and $35,750.00 at 60–63. The base limit is $24,500.00; the age-50+ catch-up adds $8,000.00, and the ages 60–63 super catch-up adds $11,250.00 instead. At 64 you drop back to the $8,000.00 catch-up and a $32,500.00 max.
An extra $11,250.00 a year at ages 60–63, on top of the $24,500.00 base. It replaces the regular $8,000.00 catch-up — it does not stack, so the max is $35,750.00, not $43,750.00. At 61 it is worth $80,474.52 over 6 years at 7%, against $57,226.33 for the regular $8,000.00 catch-up.
$2,475.00 a year on the defaults. The tax saved is the catch-up times your marginal rate: $11,250.00 × 22% = $2,475.00. At a 12% rate it is $1,350.00, and a Roth catch-up saves $0 now — the tax saving only applies to pre-tax deferrals.
8 years. At 7%, $11,250.00 a year grows to $115,422.78 in 8 years; 7 years gives $97,357.74, short of $100,000.00. To reach $100,000.00 in 6 years the return would have to be 15.61% as displayed (exact 15.6070%).
Yes, if your prior-year FICA wages from the same employer exceeded $150,000.00. That is the rule from 2026. On a $120,000.00 salary the mandate is No; on a $160,000.00 salary it is Yes, and the $2,475.00 of tax saved disappears.
You drop back to the regular $8,000.00 catch-up. The max is $32,500.00 again, the same as at 55. The super catch-up is only for ages 60–63, by age on December 31, 2026.
The room left is $0.00 and the tax saved from more room is $0.00. You are already at the $35,750.00 max at 61, so there is nothing left to catch up — the only lever left is the return and the years.
26.67% as displayed — the exact rate is 26.6667%. At the displayed 26.67% the tax saved is $3,000.38, which does NOT land exactly on $3,000.00 — that is correct under the continuous convention. 26.66% gives $2,999.25 and 26.68% gives $3,001.50.