For 2026 you can defer up to $24,500 in a 401(k). If you are age 50 or older you add an $8,000 catch-up, for $32,500. If you are age 60 to 63 the catch-up is $11,250, for $35,750. High earners who made over $150,000 last year must put the catch-up in a Roth.
Your 2026 contribution limit
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How to Use the 401(k) Catch-Up Calculator
- Enter your age at the end of 2026. The tool picks the right band: under 50, age 50 to 59 or 64-plus, or the age 60 to 63 super catch-up.
- Enter your 2025 FICA wages from this employer so the tool can flag the new Roth catch-up rule for high earners.
- Add what you have already contributed in 2026 and your remaining pay periods to get the room left and a per-paycheck target.
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Your 2026 contribution limit | The most you can put in from your own pay this year: $24,500, $32,500 or $35,750, based on your age band. |
| Catch-up portion | The extra amount your age allows on top of the $24,500 base: $8,000 at 50, or $11,250 at ages 60 to 63. |
| Roth catch-up required? | Yes if your 2025 wages from this employer were over $150,000, which forces the catch-up into a Roth account. |
| Remaining room this year | Your limit minus what you have already deferred in 2026, floored at zero. |
| Per-paycheck target | The remaining room divided by your remaining paychecks, so you finish the year at the limit. |
| Your age band | Which of the three bands you fall in, which decides the catch-up amount. |
What Is a 401(k) Catch-Up Contribution?
A catch-up contribution is an extra amount the IRS lets older workers add to a 401(k), on top of the standard elective deferral limit. It exists so people closer to retirement can save faster.
For 2026 the standard deferral limit is $24,500. Starting the year you turn 50, you can add an $8,000 catch-up, for a total of $32,500. A newer SECURE 2.0 rule adds a bigger "super catch-up" of $11,250 for people who are age 60, 61, 62 or 63, for a total of $35,750.
These limits cover your own salary deferrals only. Employer matching is separate and does not count against them. If you are weighing pre-tax against Roth deferrals, see our guide to traditional vs Roth 401(k) choices.
How Does the 401(k) Catch-Up Calculator Work?
The calculator uses the same age-on-December-31 test the IRS applies, then checks one wage rule for the Roth requirement. It is deterministic arithmetic with the 2026 figures baked in.
Limit = $24,500 + catch-up, where catch-up = $0 under 50, $8,000 at 50 to 59 or 64-plus, and $11,250 at ages 60 to 63.- Find your band from your age at year-end. Under 50 gets no catch-up. Age 50 to 59, or 64 and older, gets $8,000. Age 60, 61, 62 or 63 gets $11,250.
- Add the catch-up to the $24,500 base to get your limit: $24,500, $32,500 or $35,750.
- Check the Roth rule. If your 2025 FICA wages from this employer were over $150,000, the catch-up portion must be Roth.
- Subtract what you have already deferred this year to get your remaining room, then divide by your remaining paychecks.
The super catch-up is a band, not a floor. At age 64 it drops back to the standard $8,000, so the $11,250 applies only in the four years 60 through 63. The thresholds here are 2026 amounts and can change in later years.
401(k) Catch-Up Example: Three Worked Cases
Every number below was computed in code from the rules above, and matches the worked examples in the verified data.
| Case | Inputs | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Age 55, standard catch-up | Age 55, 2025 wages $90,000, $10,000 deferred, 12 paychecks left | Limit $32,500 ($24,500 + $8,000). Roth not required. Remaining $22,500, about $1,875 per paycheck. |
| Age 62, super catch-up | Age 62, 2025 wages $120,000, $10,000 deferred, 10 paychecks left | Limit $35,750 ($24,500 + $11,250). Roth not required. Remaining $25,750, about $2,575 per paycheck. |
| Age 62, high earner | Age 62, 2025 wages $200,000, $0 deferred, 24 paychecks left | Limit $35,750. Catch-up $11,250 must be Roth (wages over $150,000). Remaining $35,750, about $1,490 per paycheck. |
The third case shows the new rule in action: the worker still gets the full $35,750 limit, but because 2025 wages topped $150,000, the $11,250 catch-up has to go into a Roth source rather than pre-tax.
The Age 60-63 Super Catch-Up vs the Standard Catch-Up
SECURE 2.0 created a higher catch-up for a narrow age window. It is easy to miss, because it only applies for four years and then falls back.
| Age at year-end | Catch-up (2026) | Total limit (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 50 | $0 | $24,500 |
| 50 to 59 | $8,000 | $32,500 |
| 60, 61, 62 or 63 | $11,250 | $35,750 |
| 64 and older | $8,000 | $32,500 |
So the $11,250 super catch-up is worth $3,250 more than the standard $8,000, but only in those four years. The year you turn 64 you drop back to the standard catch-up. Planning your biggest contributions during the 60 to 63 window can add meaningfully to a balance you can later check against typical retirement savings by age.
The New Roth Catch-Up Rule for High Earners
Under SECURE 2.0 section 603, higher earners can no longer make catch-up contributions on a pre-tax basis. The catch-up must be a Roth (after-tax) contribution instead.
The test uses your prior-year FICA wages from the employer that sponsors the plan. For the 2026 plan year, IRS Notice 2025-67 set the threshold at $150,000, raised from $145,000. If your 2025 Social Security wages from that employer were over $150,000, your entire 2026 catch-up has to be Roth.
A few details matter. The threshold looks only at that one employer, so a job change can reset it. It uses FICA wages, not total income. And it affects only the catch-up portion, not the $24,500 base. If your plan has no Roth option, you may not be able to make a catch-up at all until it adds one.
Factors That Change Your Catch-Up Limit
Your Age at Year-End
The IRS uses your age on December 31, not your birthday. If you turn 50 at any point in 2026, you get the full $8,000 catch-up for the whole year. The $11,250 super catch-up applies only at ages 60 through 63.
Prior-Year Wages
Wages over $150,000 from this employer in 2025 do not change the dollar limit, but they force the catch-up to be Roth. This changes the tax treatment, not the amount.
What You Have Already Contributed
Your remaining room is the limit minus what you have deferred so far. Front-loading earlier in the year leaves less room later, which the per-paycheck figure accounts for.
Employer Match
Matching contributions do not count against your deferral limit, so a generous match does not reduce how much you can personally defer. To avoid leaving money on the table, see how to get your full 401(k) match.
When to Use the Calculator
Setting Your Payroll Deferral
Use it at the start of the year, or after a raise, to set the percentage or dollar amount that hits the limit exactly by your last paycheck.
The Year You Turn 50, 60 or 64
Milestone birthdays change your limit. Re-run the tool in any year your band changes so you capture the larger catch-up, or adjust down at 64.
Checking the Roth Requirement
If your pay is near $150,000, use it to confirm whether your catch-up has to be Roth for 2026 before you set up your deferrals.
Common Mistakes with 401(k) Catch-Up Contributions
1. Assuming the $11,250 Lasts Past 63
The super catch-up is only for ages 60 to 63. At 64 you go back to the $8,000 standard catch-up.
2. Counting the Employer Match Against the Limit
The $24,500 and the catch-up apply to your own deferrals. Matching sits under a separate, higher total-additions limit.
3. Missing the Roth Requirement
High earners who try to make a pre-tax catch-up can have it rejected or reclassified. Check the $150,000 wage test first.
4. Using Current-Year Wages for the Roth Test
The rule looks at prior-year (2025) FICA wages from this employer, not what you expect to earn in 2026.
5. Forgetting IRAs Are Separate
The 401(k) limit is distinct from IRA limits. You may be able to contribute to both; this tool covers the 401(k) only.
Accuracy and Limitations
The calculator reproduces the 2026 elective-deferral and catch-up arithmetic exactly for one employee. It does not file anything or read your actual plan documents.
What it calculates accurately
- The 2026 base deferral limit of $24,500 and the $8,000 and $11,250 catch-up amounts.
- The age-on-December-31 band logic, including the drop back to $8,000 at age 64.
- The Roth catch-up flag from the $150,000 prior-year wage threshold for 2026.
- Remaining room and an even per-paycheck target from your inputs.
What it does not account for
- Your plan's own rules, such as whether it offers Roth or caps deferrals below the IRS limit.
- The separate total-additions limit that includes employer matching and profit sharing.
- IRA limits, income taxes, or any state rules; this is 401(k) deferrals only.
- Any IRS change after 2026-10-06. Confirm current limits on irs.gov before you file or set deferrals.
How We Calculate Your Catch-Up Limit
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?
The standard elective-deferral limit is $24,500 for 2026. With the age 50 catch-up it is $32,500, and with the age 60 to 63 super catch-up it is $35,750. These cover your own deferrals, not employer matching.
How much is the 401(k) catch-up contribution in 2026?
If you are age 50 or older the catch-up is $8,000. If you are age 60, 61, 62 or 63 the super catch-up is $11,250 instead. Under 50 there is no catch-up.
What is the age 60-63 super catch-up?
A SECURE 2.0 rule that raises the catch-up to $11,250 for people who are age 60 to 63 at year-end, for a total 2026 limit of $35,750. At age 64 it drops back to the standard $8,000 catch-up.
Do I have to make my catch-up as Roth in 2026?
Only if your prior-year FICA wages from this employer were over $150,000. In that case SECURE 2.0 section 603 requires the catch-up to be a Roth contribution. Otherwise it can be pre-tax or Roth.
What wage counts for the Roth catch-up rule?
Your 2025 Social Security (FICA) wages from the employer that sponsors the plan. IRS Notice 2025-67 set the threshold at $150,000 for 2026, up from $145,000. A job change can reset the test.
Does the catch-up limit use my age or my birthday?
It uses your age at the end of the year. If you turn 50 at any time in 2026 you get the full catch-up for the whole year. The super catch-up applies in the years you are 60 through 63.
Does employer matching count toward the $24,500 limit?
No. The $24,500 base and the catch-up apply only to your own salary deferrals. Employer matching falls under a separate, higher overall contribution limit.
What if my plan does not offer Roth?
If you are a high earner required to make a Roth catch-up but your plan has no Roth option, you may not be able to make a catch-up contribution until the plan adds one. Ask your plan administrator.
Can I also contribute to an IRA?
IRA limits are separate from 401(k) limits, and many people can use both. This calculator covers the 401(k) deferral and catch-up only; confirm IRA eligibility separately.
Is my data saved?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is sent to our servers. Anything you choose to Save stays in this browser only.
Sources
- IR-2025-111: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026; IRA limit increases to $7,500 (IRS, November 13, 2025, read 2026-10-06).
- Notice 2025-67: 2026 cost-of-living adjustments and the $150,000 Roth catch-up wage threshold (IRS, 2026 plan year, read 2026-10-06).
- Retirement topics: 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits (IRS, read 2026-10-06).
- SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, sections 109 (super catch-up) and 603 (Roth catch-up) (Public Law 117-328, read 2026-10-06).
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Explore all finance calculatorsThis calculator gives an educational estimate from the figures you enter. It is an estimate, not tax or financial advice, and it cannot replace your tax return, a tax professional or your loan servicer. This is an educational estimate of your 2026 401(k) limit, not financial, tax or investment advice. The 2026 figures and the $150,000 Roth threshold can change; confirm current amounts on irs.gov and check your own plan rules with your plan administrator or a qualified professional. MultiCalculators is not affiliated with or endorsed by the IRS, the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of Education. Spotted an error? Let us know.
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Shakeel Muzaffar is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of MultiCalculators.com, bringing over 15 years of experience in digital publishing, product strategy, and online tool development. He leads the platform's editorial vision, ensuring every calculator meets strict standards for accuracy, usability, and real-world value. Shakeel personally oversees content quality, formula verification workflows, and the platform's commitment to publishing tools that are genuinely useful for students, professionals, and everyday users worldwide.
