$0 saved per year
401(k) contribution calculator
What does contributing actually cost you?
A traditional contribution comes out before federal income tax, so the money leaving your paycheck is smaller than the money reaching your 401(k). This runs both paychecks through the same 2026 engine and reports the difference, rather than assuming a marginal rate.
Employer match includedNeed a raise instead? →
Your paycheck
Set your contribution
50% of every dollar you put in, up to 6% of your pay.
Include other benefits Optional
What it costs your paycheck
$142.40
to put $196.15 into retirement every check
Tax deferred per check$53.75
Employer match per check$98.08
Into your 401(k) per year$7,650
72.6% of every dollar saved comes out of take-home
A traditional contribution comes out before federal income tax, so $196.15 of savings costs you $142.40. It is still Social Security and Medicare wages, which is why it never costs nothing.
Both paychecks are run through the same deterministic 2026 engine and the difference is the cost — no marginal rate is assumed. New York state rules are applied; local taxes remain excluded. Investment growth is not projected.
Rate by rate
What each contribution level costs you.
Take-home given up against total retirement money, including the match.
$3,825 saved per year
$7,650 saved per year
$11,050 saved per year
$15,300 saved per year
The 2026 elective-deferral limit is $24,500. Catch-up contributions, after-tax contributions, and plan-specific limits are not modelled. How these numbers are produced →