403(b) Calculator
Estimate retirement savings while separating regular deferrals, the entered 15-year-service catch-up, age-based catch-up, employer contributions, and growth. Contributions are spread across monthly deposits rather than credited once per year.
How to use the 403(b) Calculator
Enter current balance, salary, employee rate, age, match formula, administrator-confirmed service catch-up, prior-year sponsor FICA wages, plan Roth catch-up availability, salary and limit growth, return, and years.
Review IRS elective-deferral and annual-addition limits, 15-year catch-up eligibility, plan contract, vesting, annuity or fund fees, and tax treatment.
Read projected balance and separated regular, 15-year-service, age-based, required-Roth, unavailable-Roth, employer, and investment-growth totals.
Formula
Regular deferral uses the modeled $24,500 base limit plus up to the entered $3,000 service catch-up, followed by eligible age catch-up. Employer and regular additions observe the modeled $72,000 annual-additions limit.
Example
An eligible participant entering a $3,000 service catch-up can model that amount before any age-based catch-up, subject to salary and plan-administrator confirmation.
Assumptions and limitations
- The entered 15-year-service amount must come from the plan administrator. The separate 2026 Roth wage test applies to age-based catch-up, not the entered 15-year-service amount.
- 403(b) Calculator treats the entered values as estimates and does not infer missing project, account, or personal details.
- Calculations retain working precision except where the cited method requires an intermediate rounding step; displayed values are then formatted separately. Source rules and dated rates must be rechecked when they change.
Sources
- Internal Revenue Service: Tax-Sheltered Annuity Plans (403(b) Plans)403(b) eligibility, contributions, and limits. Reviewed 2026-08-14.
- Internal Revenue Service: Retirement Topics: Catch-Up Contributions2026 age-based catch-up limits and the prior-year wage test for required Roth catch-up treatment. Reviewed 2026-08-14.
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: Compound Interest CalculatorCompound-growth inputs and future-value concepts. Reviewed 2026-08-14.
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Frequently asked questions
How does the 403(b) Calculator work?
Regular deferral uses the modeled $24,500 base limit plus up to the entered $3,000 service catch-up, followed by eligible age catch-up. Employer and regular additions observe the modeled $72,000 annual-additions limit.
What information should I enter in the 403(b) Calculator?
Enter current balance, salary, employee rate, age, match formula, administrator-confirmed service catch-up, prior-year sponsor FICA wages, plan Roth catch-up availability, salary and limit growth, return, and years, then verify IRS elective-deferral and annual-addition limits, 15-year catch-up eligibility, plan contract, vesting, annuity or fund fees, and tax treatment.
What should I verify before using this 403(b) Calculator result?
The entered 15-year-service amount must come from the plan administrator. The separate 2026 Roth wage test applies to age-based catch-up, not the entered 15-year-service amount.
Reviewed 2026-08-14 · 2026-monthly-retirement-projection-v4 · content-2026-08-14 · Trusty Calculator Editorial Team