Impact of Increasing 401(k) Contributions

A small increase now, compounded for decades, adds up to a lot at retirement.

Your numbers

$
%
%
%

Extra at retirement

Added by the increase
,
Projects the future value of just the extra contribution. Higher pre-tax contributions also lower your current taxable income.
About this calculator

Impact of Increasing 401(k) Contributions

A 401(k) increase calculator shows how much raising your contribution percentage adds to your balance by retirement, isolating the future value of just the extra amount.

Small bump, big finish

Because contributions compound for decades, raising your rate a few points now can add a large sum by retirement. The extra comes out of each paycheck almost unnoticed, especially since pre-tax contributions also lower your take-home by less than the full amount thanks to the tax deferral.

Automate the increases

A powerful habit is to raise your contribution with every pay raise, so your savings grow with your income without ever feeling a cut. Many plans offer auto-escalation to do this for you. The calculator shows what a single increase adds; repeating it over a career is how modest savers reach large balances.

How to use it

  1. Enter your salary and current contribution percentage.
  2. Enter a new, higher percentage.
  3. Set years to retirement and expected return.
  4. See the extra added by retirement.

Frequently asked questions

How much does increasing my 401(k) add?

Because the extra compounds for years, even a few percentage points can add a large sum by retirement. Enter your numbers to see it.

Does a bigger 401(k) contribution cut my take-home a lot?

Pre-tax contributions lower take-home by less than the full amount, since they also reduce your taxable income.

What's the easiest way to save more?

Raise your contribution with each pay raise, or use auto-escalation, so savings grow with income painlessly.

See the exact formula and a worked example on our methodology page.

Related calculators