401(k) Contribution Limits For 2026

If your long-term goals include enjoying a comfortable retirement, the 401(k) is a great way to get there. Whether you choose a traditional or Roth 401(k), the annual contribution limits are the same, though the amount generally increases each year.

With a 401(k) plan, workers can make substantial annual contributions to their retirement savings and get a nice break on taxes, too. It’s simply a matter of initially setting up a payroll deduction to contribute to your 401(k) and choosing investments, and perhaps revisiting your preferences maybe once a year. Some employers automatically enroll new hires with a nominal contribution, unless they explicitly opt out or change that amount.

The 401(k) is one of the best retirement plans available to workers, thanks to high contribution limits set by the IRS — thousands more than you can save in an IRA — and the potential to earn an employer match.

2026 401(k) contribution limits

The 401(k) limit for employee deferrals is $24,500 in 2026. This is the most that workers can contribute pre-tax to their 401(k) plans, but that amount doesn’t include any employer match.

However, the total contribution limit to a 401(k) in 2026 is $72,000. That includes employer contributions and after-tax contributions you make, if your employer offers that feature. 

For older workers, the contribution limit for a 401(k) plan is even higher. Workers who are 50 and older can take advantage of a catch-up contribution of $8,000 in 2026. Meanwhile, workers aged 60, 61, 62 or 63 can make an even higher catch-up contribution of up to $11,250 in 2026. (This new provision for workers approaching retirement went into effect in 2025 and the amount remains the same for 2026.)

The 401(k) contribution limits also apply to other so-called “defined-contribution plans,” including:

Take advantage of any 401(k) match

A majority of employers provide a matching contribution, and the average value of the promised match is 4.6%, according to Vanguard’s latest How America Saves report. If you don’t take advantage of your employer match, you’re rejecting free money.

But keep in mind that you may not be immediately entitled to that money.

While your contributions are always vested in the 401(k) — meaning they’re immediately credited to your account — employers sometimes impose time restrictions on their matching contributions to provide an incentive for workers to stick around.

There’s another catch with matching contributions: You must save enough to get the full match.

A typical 401(k) employer match is 50 cents on the dollar, up to 6% of a worker’s salary, which would be the equivalent of 3% of compensation. To take advantage of the full match, however, employees must defer at least 6% of their salary toward the 401(k) plan. Some plans are more generous, offering a 6% total match or more, and potentially other types of contributions to eligible employees that aren’t predicated on a match.

Employers have a higher contribution ceiling

The employer’s 401(k) maximum contribution limit is much more liberal. Altogether, the most that can be contributed to your 401(k) plan between both you and your employer is $72,000 in 2026. (Again, those aged 50 and older can also make an additional catch-up contribution of up to $8,000 in 2026 and the catch-up contribution limit for workers aged 60 through 63 is $11,250.) That means a particularly generous employer could potentially contribute much more than you do to your plan, though this is not the norm.

The salary cap for determining employer and employee contributions for all tax-qualified plans increased to $360,000 in 2026, up from $350,000 in 2025.

Traditional vs. Roth 401(k)

Some employers offer both a traditional 401(k) and a Roth 401(k). With a traditional 401(k) plan, you can defer paying income tax on the amount you contribute. In other words, if you earn $100,000 in 2026 and contribute the maximum $24,500 to your traditional 401(k), your taxable earnings (assuming no other deductions) for the 2026 tax year would be $75,500.

With a Roth 401(k) plan, you don’t get an upfront tax break, but when it’s time to withdraw that money in retirement, you won’t owe any tax on it. All of your accumulated contributions and earnings come out tax-free.

Investing in both types of plans provides you with tax diversification, which can come in handy during retirement.

If you have access to both a Roth and a traditional 401(k) plan, you can contribute to both, as long as your total contribution to both as an employee doesn’t exceed $24,500 in 2026.

In addition to the Roth and traditional 401(k), some employers also offer an “after-tax plan,” allowing you to save up to the total annual limit of $72,000 in 2026. With this account you can put away money after-tax and it can grow tax-deferred in your 401(k) account until withdrawal, at which point any withdrawn earnings become taxable.

Can I contribute 100% of my salary to a 401(k)?

If your earnings are below $24,500, then the most you can contribute to your 401(k) plan is the amount you earn. Above this amount, however, you can generally contribute whatever percentage you elect to your 401(k) plan until you reach the contribution limit, unless your 401(k)’s plan document (a document governs each 401(k) plan) places any restrictions on that amount. This applies especially to highly compensated employees, which in 2026 is defined as those earning more than $160,000 or who own more than 5% of the business.

Sponsors of large company plans must abide by certain discrimination-testing rules to make sure highly compensated employees don’t get a lopsided benefit compared to the rank and file. Generally, highly compensated employees cannot contribute higher than 2 percentage points of their pay more than employees who earn less, on average, even though they likely can afford to stash away more. The goal is to encourage everyone to participate in the plan rather than favor one group over another.

There is a way around this for companies that want to avoid discrimination-testing rules. They can give everyone 3% of pay regardless of how much their employees contribute, or they can give everyone a 4% matching contribution.

How much should you contribute to a 401(k)?

At a minimum, employees should contribute enough to their 401(k) plan to earn any company match. Beyond that, experts recommend that your contributions should be based on a percentage of your income, depending on your age, with the amount increasing over time.

In your 20s and 30s, a good goal is to stash away between 10% and 15% of your gross income toward retirement, if you can manage it. If you’re behind in retirement savings in your 40s and 50s, you may want to prioritize a goal of saving between 15% and 25% of your income.

But don’t let those percentages scare you away: If you’re not saving anything for retirement right now, you can get started with a lower amount, like 3%, and increase your savings from there. If you get a raise, that’s a good opportunity to increase your 401(k) contributions. Many plans also offer automated annual contribution increases of 1% or more, or you can manually increase this amount — by, say, 2% each year — until you hit your target savings goal.

Catch-up contributions: Perks for older retirement investors

If you’re 50 years old or older, you’re entitled to make “catch-up” contributions — and that amount increases the closer you get to the typical retirement age:

• In 2026, you can add an additional $8,000 to your workplace retirement plan, for a total contribution of $32,500.
• But if you’re 60, 61, 62 or 63, you can contribute a higher amount: $11,250. This higher amount is a result of changes that were part of the SECURE 2.0 Act and went into effect in 2025.
• Workers who are 64 or older can only take advantage of the $8,000 catch-up contribution.

When including your employer’s match, after-tax contributions and allocations of forfeiture, the maximum amount that can be contributed to your 401(k) plan in 2026 is $80,000 for workers older than 50 and $83,250 for those workers aged 60, 61, 62 or 63 — amounts that are much higher than the $72,000 maximum that applies to everyone else. (Forfeitures come from an account in which company contributions accumulate from departing employees who weren’t vested in the plan.)

How to claim your retirement savings

Unless you’re really in a bind, it’s best to avoid cracking open your 401(k) nest egg before age 59½, which is the age you’re allowed to dip into your savings without paying an early withdrawal penalty. 

However, there are some exceptions to that early withdrawal rule. Some 401(k) plans include provisions that allow for penalty-free early access in the form of 401(k) loans or hardship withdrawals. Also, a company may allow access if you retire and leave the year you turn 55 or after (known as the “rule of 55” ). 

Not all plans include the option for loans, hardship withdrawals or penalty-free withdrawals for early retirees, and some plans require that a person be terminated before accessing their money, even if they are 59½ or older.

But given the risk of penalties and missing out on the time your money could grow while in the market, experts caution against taking a distribution or a loan from your 401(k) early, if you can avoid it. Rather, you should focus on consistent saving over time and, if it becomes necessary, first decrease your contributions rather than dipping into your retirement plan early.