403(b) Calculator

Before you enter your numbers

Use actual recurring annual contributions rather than an aspirational maximum that your budget cannot support. Enter a return net of costs if you have a fund or annuity contract with ongoing charges. Employer contributions belong in their own field and may have vesting conditions.

• Current 403(b) balance
• Monthly contribution
• Years to retirement
• Expected annual return

Input reference

• Current 403(b) balance: The current balance committed to this goal. Use a recent statement and exclude money reserved for unrelated goals. This starting value is already invested, so do not also enter it as a recurring contribution.
• Current age: Your age at the start of the projection. This determines how long contributions can compound before the selected retirement date; it does not set legal access to a pension or retirement account.
• Annual employee contribution: New employee or IRA saving each year, spread into monthly deposits in the model. This is distinct from the existing balance, rollovers and separately entered employer funding. Statutory caps may limit the modeled contribution.
• Annual employer contribution: Annual employer money expected to remain in the account. It is modeled separately from employee contributions. Confirm vesting and the plan’s formula before assuming the full amount will be retained.
• Years to retirement: The duration of the calculation in years. Longer periods give growth or withdrawals more time to operate. This is a chosen modeling horizon, not a prediction of an investment term or your lifetime.
• Annual return: An assumed nominal annual rate, divided by 12 in monthly projections. It is held constant. It is not a guaranteed yield, and the default should be replaced with an assumption suited to your scenario.

Formula and calculation method

Contributions are modeled monthly. The employee amount is capped at the stored 2026 limit for the entered age and then held constant for the selected years. The separate 15-year-service catch-up available in some circumstances is not calculated, and the combined contribution ceiling is not enforced.

Worked example

With a 50,000 starting balance, 5,000 annual employee saving and 2,000 annual employer funding, ten years at zero return produces 120,000. The 70,000 increase is contributed money, not investment profit.

How to interpret the result

The result panel reports projected 403(b) balance, total contributions and estimated investment growth.

Compare investment expenses, surrender charges where applicable, available funds and distribution restrictions before comparing projected balances. A higher assumed return cannot show the risk or liquidity of a contract. Confirm coordination rules if you also contribute to another employer plan.

403(b) limits and catch-up context

The calculator applies the same 2026 basic elective-deferral limit used for most 401(k) plans and the age-based catch-up amount. Some 403(b) participants with long service at the same qualifying employer may have an additional special catch-up that is not automatically applied here.

If that rule applies to you, use your plan documents or payroll estimate to choose a realistic contribution amount and treat this projection as the growth layer rather than an eligibility determination.

Read the investment contract as well as the account label

A 403(b) arrangement can offer investment choices with different expense structures and withdrawal conditions. A recurring fund fee belongs in the net return assumption. A surrender charge or an insurance feature is not equivalent to a recurring expense and should be evaluated separately.

If you change employers, verify how an old balance, new contributions and any rollover are treated. Moving money is not the same as earning investment growth. The current balance can include a transferred amount, but an annual-contribution field should describe new money rather than repeatedly adding the same transfer.

Check whether your employer contribution and investment menu change the projection

A 403(b) can include employer contributions, but formulas vary. Use the plan’s actual contribution policy instead of assuming it works like a 401(k). Investment expenses can also differ across available annuities and funds, so a gross return assumption may overstate growth if fees are material.

For employees with access to more than one retirement plan, keep each plan’s contribution rules distinct. Combining all contributions into one generic percentage can hide statutory limits or employer-specific restrictions.

Use The Result In The Next Calculation

After estimating 403(b) growth, combine the balance with any pension, IRA and Social Security income rather than viewing the account in isolation. If your employer contributes, verify the plan formula before transferring that amount into another calculator.