Compare Traditional and Roth 401(k) contributions, paycheck impact, employer matching dollars, and projected after-tax retirement value using editable 2026 plan limits.
Contribution and match
Your annual contribution
$9,000
$346.15 per paycheck
Employer match
$2,700
$103.85 per paycheck
Total added each year
$11,700
Employee limit used: 36.7%
Traditional vs Roth
Traditional paycheck cost
$263.08
Estimated per biweekly paycheck after current federal tax savings
Roth paycheck cost
$346.15
Estimated per biweekly paycheck; contribution is after tax
Roth after-tax advantage
$187,032
At retirement after 22.0% tax on pre-tax dollars
Both scenarios invest the same employee dollar amount. Roth therefore costs more from each paycheck today. Employer match and your entered existing balance are treated as pre-tax.
After-tax projection
| Year | Traditional | Roth | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | $46,800 | $46,800 | $0 |
| 5 years | $118,121 | $129,507 | $11,386 |
| 10 years | $218,152 | $245,508 | $27,357 |
| 15 years | $358,450 | $408,206 | $49,755 |
| 20 years | $555,226 | $636,397 | $81,171 |
| 25 years | $831,215 | $956,448 | $125,233 |
| 30 years | $1,218,303 | $1,405,335 | $187,032 |
How this calculator works
Employee contributions are the lesser of the selected salary percentage, salary, and the age-based limit. Employer match applies the plan match rate to eligible contributions using the 2026 $360,000 compensation cap and $72,000 annual-additions limit. Catch-up contributions do not consume that annual-additions limit.
Growth is compounded annually with end-of-year contributions. Traditional employee dollars, employer dollars, and the existing balance are reduced by the retirement tax rate. Roth employee dollars are not. The model does not include investment fees, tax credits, required minimum distributions, plan testing, or future tax-law changes.
Source: IRS, “Retirement topics — 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits” and Notice 2025-67. The 2026 employee limit is $24,500, the general age-50 catch-up is $8,000, the age-60-to-63 catch-up is $11,250, and the annual-additions limit is $72,000. Participants with more than $150,000 in prior-year FICA wages from the plan sponsor generally must make 2026 catch-up contributions as Roth.
This educational estimate is not tax or investment advice. Confirm eligibility, matching rules, and Roth availability with your plan administrator.
Explore Investments & Savings
Investment planning, retirement, and savings tools
View all investments & savings calculators →Related Calculators
Two-Job 401(k) Match Optimizer
Allocate a shared 401(k) deferral limit across an old job and up to two current plans to capture more employer match without unintentionally exceeding the annual employee limit.
Retirement Planner
Estimate retirement savings needs using income replacement, Social Security, healthcare costs, and a 4% withdrawal assumption.
Job Offer Comparison Calculator
Compare two job offers using salary, bonuses, equity, benefits, paid time off, retirement match, commute costs, and effective hourly compensation.
Investment Calculator
Project investment growth from an initial balance and recurring contributions under different return and compounding assumptions.