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WealthChem

Are you collecting your full 401(k) match?

An employer match is part of your pay — it just doesn't arrive unless you contribute enough to claim it. Two minutes of inputs show whether you're collecting all of yours.

Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere — the math runs entirely in your browser.

The percentage of each paycheck you defer into the 401(k).

Defaults show the most common shape (100% on the first 3%, 50% on the next 2%) — check your plan documents for your employer's exact formula.

Match captured this year

$0

$0

left unclaimed this year

Full match ($2,800) at 5% contribution.

Your employer's match: collected vs left behind

At a 4% contribution you capture $2,450 of a possible $2,800 annual match, leaving $350 unclaimed.
  • Match captured$2,450
  • Left unclaimed$350

For context: your own deferrals are capped at $24,500 for 2026 under IRS limits — the employer match does not count against that cap. Source details live in our research library.

Your next moves (educational, not advice)

  1. Raising your deferral from 4% to 5% captures the remaining $350 — the matching formula turns those dollars into an instant 50–100% return, before any market performance.
  2. Check your plan documents or HR portal for your exact formula — the 100%/50% two-tier shape is the most common, but plans vary.
  3. If the jump feels tight, raise your deferral 1% now and another 1% at your next raise — many plans can automate that escalation.
Want to talk through your result? No pitch, no obligationRead: 401(k), Roth, or HSA — which first?

WealthChem 401(k) Match worksheet — educational estimate only

Salary $70,000 at a 4% contribution, with a match of 100% on the first 3% and 50% on the next 2%: match captured $2,450 of a possible $2,800, leaving $350 unclaimed. Full match at 5% contribution.

Generated by wealthchem.com/tools/401k-match. Not financial advice.

The formula, in the open

Match = 100% of min(c, t1) of salary + 50% of min(max(c − t1, 0), t2) of salary Example: $70,000 salary, c = 4%, t1 = 3%, t2 = 2% → (100% × 3% × $70,000) + (50% × 1% × $70,000) = $2,100 + $350 = $2,450
c: your contribution as a percentage of salary. t1: the slice your employer matches dollar-for-dollar (commonly 3%). t2: the next slice matched at fifty cents per dollar (commonly 2%). This two-tier shape is the most common — check your plan documents for yours.

Assumptions

  • Your plan uses the two-tier formula (100% on the first X%, 50% on the next Y%) — the most common shape
  • The match is computed on full annual salary with steady contributions all year
  • You stay long enough for matching dollars to vest under your plan's schedule

Limitations

  • Plans differ: dollar caps, per-paycheck matching without a year-end true-up, and eligibility waiting periods can change the result
  • Employer match doesn't count against your own $24,500 deferral limit for 2026, but a separate overall limit applies to combined contributions — see plan documents
  • Vesting schedules can take back employer dollars if you leave early

Want the concept behind the math? 401(k), Roth, or HSA — which dollar goes where first? →