Updated · Built and checked by the PlinzoTools team, formulas tested against published sources
Look up your 401(k) employee contribution limit for the current tax year, based on your age.
This tool looks up your 401(k) employee elective deferral limit for the 2026 tax year based on your age: $24,500 standard, $32,500 with the 50+ catch-up (ages 50-59 and 64+), or $35,750 with the SECURE 2.0 "super catch-up" available to ages 60-63 (note: plans must elect to offer the super catch-up, so confirm with your plan administrator that yours does). Source: IRS press release IR-2025-111.
Enter your age as of December 31 this year. Your applicable contribution limit appears instantly.
The tool applies three simple rules to the age you enter. Under 50, you get the standard limit. From 50 through 59, and again from 64 onward, you get the standard limit plus the regular catch-up. From 60 through 63 you get the standard limit plus the larger super catch-up. The difference between the regular and super catch-up amounts is what makes ages 60 to 63 special. The label beside your result tells you which rule applied, so you can see at a glance whether you are in the standard, catch-up or super catch-up bracket.
Use the age you will reach by December 31 of the tax year. Catch-up eligibility is generally determined by the year-end age, not by your birthday today. Someone turning 50 in late December is eligible for the full year, and someone turning 60 in December is in the super catch-up bracket for that year if the plan allows it. Because the tool takes a single number, enter your year-end age rather than your current one.
Imagine a 58-year-old who earns 120,000 and wants to know how much of a 2026 paycheck can go to the plan. The tool shows the standard limit plus the 50-plus catch-up. If she plans to contribute a percentage of pay, divide the limit by the number of pay periods to see what per-paycheck amount would reach it. For 26 biweekly paychecks, divide the limit by 26. Two years later, at 60, the same calculation would use the higher super catch-up bracket, though only if her plan offers it.
Your plan can set its own rules that are stricter than the federal limit, such as a maximum percentage of pay, and some plans do not permit catch-up contributions at all. Highly compensated employees can also face testing that restricts contributions. Check the plan document or ask your administrator. If you exceed the limit by contributing through multiple employers, you generally need to arrange a return of the excess by the deadline, which is worth discussing with a tax professional. Also note that catch-up rules for higher earners can change how they must be made, such as as Roth contributions, so confirm current rules with the IRS or your plan.
Comparing the limit to your budget tells you how much room you have, and whether it makes sense to increase your percentage, front-load contributions early in the year, or spread them evenly. Front-loading can cause you to miss a match if the plan only matches per paycheck, so check the match rule first.
No -- this is the employee elective deferral limit only. The combined employee + employer limit is a separate, higher figure (also published annually by the IRS).
No -- your 401(k) plan must elect to offer it under SECURE 2.0. Confirm with your plan administrator that your specific plan supports it before assuming it applies to you.
Enter the age you will be on December 31 of the tax year, since catch-up eligibility is generally based on year-end age.
No. The employee deferral limit applies to your combined contributions across all 401(k)-type plans in a year.
The larger super catch-up applies only to ages 60 through 63 under the rule this tool uses; from 64 the regular catch-up applies.
No. It is the employee elective deferral limit only.
Reference: Social Security Administration