Project your 403(b) balance with the 2026 contribution limits, the age-50 and 403(b) 15-year catch-ups, employer match, and 4% retirement income.
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A 403(b) is the workplace retirement plan for employees of public schools, non-profits, and churches — the tax-advantaged twin of a 401(k). This calculator projects your 403(b) balance at retirement from your contributions, any employer match, and investment growth, and it checks your contribution against the 2026 IRS limits, including the age-50 catch-up, the SECURE 2.0 higher catch-up (ages 60-63), and the 15-year rule that is unique to 403(b) plans.
For 2026 you can defer up to $24,500 of your own pay into a 403(b) (the 402(g) limit, shared with any 401(k)). If you are 50 or older you can add an $8,000 catch-up; at ages 60-63 that catch-up rises to $11,250 under SECURE 2.0. On top of that, the 403(b) 15-year rule lets long-tenured employees add up to $3,000 more a year (a $15,000 lifetime cap) after 15 years with the same qualified employer. Combined employee-plus-employer contributions are capped at $72,000.
Future value
Public-school 403(b)s rarely include a match, so your own contributions do the heavy lifting — see what they build.
Combine the age-50 (or 60-63) catch-up with the 15-year rule to see the most you can shelter in your final working years.
Same limits and tax treatment — use the projection to weigh fees and fund choices between plans.
Model the balance, then decide whether pre-tax or Roth contributions fit your tax outlook.
It flags whether your contribution fits the 2026 elective-deferral limit and shows the exact cap for your age and years of service.
Age-50, the 60-63 super catch-up, and the 403(b)-only 15-year service catch-up are all built in — most calculators miss the 15-year rule.
See how much of your projected balance comes from your contributions, employer match, and tax-deferred compounding.
A 4%-rule estimate turns your projected balance into a monthly income figure so the number means something.
You can contribute up to $24,500 of your own pay in 2026. If you are 50 or older you can add an $8,000 catch-up ($32,500 total); at ages 60-63 the catch-up is $11,250 ($35,750 total). Employer contributions can bring the combined total up to $72,000.
Employees with at least 15 years of service with the same qualified employer (a school, hospital, church, or other 501(c)(3)) may contribute up to $3,000 more per year, capped at $15,000 over their lifetime. This catch-up is unique to 403(b) plans and can be used alongside the age-50 catch-up.
They share the same 2026 elective-deferral limit and tax treatment. A 403(b) is offered by public schools, non-profits, and churches, was historically annuity-based, and has the unique 15-year catch-up. A 401(k) is offered by for-profit employers, usually has a wider fund menu, and more often includes an employer match.
Some do, but many — especially public-school plans — do not. If yours offers a match, contribute at least enough to capture all of it before adding more, because the match is an immediate, guaranteed return.
A Roth 403(b) takes after-tax contributions and qualified withdrawals come out tax-free. It has the same contribution limits as a traditional 403(b), and since 2024 Roth 403(b)s no longer require lifetime RMDs.
Yes. The $24,500 elective-deferral limit is shared across your 403(b) and any 401(k), but you can also contribute to an IRA separately (subject to its own limits). If you work two jobs with both a 403(b) and 401(k), your combined deferrals still cannot exceed the annual limit.
Traditional 403(b) contributions are pre-tax and lower your taxable income now; withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income, with RMDs starting at age 73 or 75. Roth 403(b) contributions are after-tax, and qualified withdrawals are tax-free.
403(b) plans historically offered annuities, which can carry high fees and surrender charges. Many plans now also offer low-cost mutual funds or index funds. Compare the expense ratios and fees carefully — high fees can quietly erode decades of growth.