Per-Paycheck Amount
$884.62
401k Save the Max Calculator
Find the contribution % needed to max out your 401(k) this year.
Contribution % Needed to Max Out
19.17%
Current Annual Contribution
$9,600.00
Remaining to Max
$13,400.00
IRS Limit
$23,000.00
How to use the 401k Save the Max Calculator
The 401k Save the Max Calculator is free and runs entirely in your browser — no sign-up, and nothing you enter leaves your device. It opens pre-filled with a realistic example, so you can see how it works before replacing any figure with your own; the results update as you type. Press Calculate to refresh the result panel, or Reset to return to the example.
The inputs it asks for:
- Annual Salary — a dollar amount.
- Current Contribution % — a percentage (enter 6 for 6%).
- Annual IRS Limit — a dollar amount.
- Pay Periods per Year — choose one — Monthly, Semi-Monthly, Bi-Weekly, Weekly.
The formula
To "max out" is to hit the annual IRS elective-deferral limit. It converts that limit into the contribution percentage and the per-paycheck amount you'd need, and shows how far your current rate falls short:
% needed = IRS limit ÷ salary
Per paycheck = IRS limit ÷ pay periods- IRS limit
- the annual elective-deferral cap you enter
- pay periods
- how many paychecks a year (bi-weekly = 26, and so on)
The limit is on your own elective deferrals; the employer match doesn't count toward it. Spreading contributions evenly avoids hitting the cap early and missing match on later paychecks — some plans "true up", many don't.
Worked example
Using the example values — Annual Salary $120,000.00, Current Contribution % 8%, Annual IRS Limit $23,000.00, Pay Periods per Year Bi-Weekly — the 401k Save the Max Calculator returns a Contribution % Needed to Max Out of 19.17%. It also reports Per-Paycheck Amount ($884.62), Current Annual Contribution ($9,600.00), Remaining to Max ($13,400.00).
Prefer your own numbers? Change any field above and this recomputes instantly.
Key terms
- Elective deferral limit
- The IRS cap on what you can contribute to a 401(k) from salary each year.
- Maxing out
- Contributing the full annual limit.
- True-up
- An employer provision that pays any match missed by hitting the cap early — not universal.
Frequently asked questions
Does the employer match count toward the limit?
No — the elective-deferral limit is on your own contributions. Employer match sits under a separate, higher overall limit.
Why spread contributions across the year?
If you hit the cap early, contributions stop — and on many plans so does the per-paycheck match on the remaining checks. Even pacing protects the full match unless your plan trues up.
What is the current limit?
It's set by the IRS and rises most years, with an extra catch-up amount at 50+. Enter the current year's figure; this calculator doesn't hard-code it.