— Retirement & FIRE
Required Retirement Contribution Calculator
Find the monthly contribution needed to hit your retirement goal. Enter target corpus or desired retirement income, current savings, years to retirement, and expected return to see monthly and annual savings required, including employer match or windfalls.
Required monthly contribution
$546.42
- Required annual
- $6,557.08
- Total you contribute
- $196,712.50
- Total invested
- $196,712.50
- Corpus at retirement
- $1,000,000
Try: $1M in 30 years from $50k, Target $40k income (÷ 4%), With a $3k employer match, Raise contributions 2%/yr
— Accumulation path to your target
| Year | Contributions | Growth | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6,557 | $3,500 | $60,057 |
| 2 | $6,557 | $4,204 | $70,818 |
| 3 | $6,557 | $4,957 | $82,333 |
| 4 | $6,557 | $5,763 | $94,653 |
| 5 | $6,557 | $6,626 | $107,836 |
| 6 | $6,557 | $7,548 | $121,941 |
| 7 | $6,557 | $8,536 | $137,034 |
| 8 | $6,557 | $9,592 | $153,184 |
| 9 | $6,557 | $10,723 | $170,464 |
| 10 | $6,557 | $11,932 | $188,953 |
| 11 | $6,557 | $13,227 | $208,737 |
| 12 | $6,557 | $14,612 | $229,906 |
| 13 | $6,557 | $16,093 | $252,556 |
| 14 | $6,557 | $17,679 | $276,792 |
| 15 | $6,557 | $19,375 | $302,725 |
| 16 | $6,557 | $21,191 | $330,472 |
| 17 | $6,557 | $23,133 | $360,163 |
| 18 | $6,557 | $25,211 | $391,931 |
| 19 | $6,557 | $27,435 | $425,923 |
| 20 | $6,557 | $29,815 | $462,295 |
| 21 | $6,557 | $32,361 | $501,213 |
| 22 | $6,557 | $35,085 | $542,855 |
| 23 | $6,557 | $38,000 | $587,412 |
| 24 | $6,557 | $41,119 | $635,088 |
| 25 | $6,557 | $44,456 | $686,101 |
| 26 | $6,557 | $48,027 | $740,685 |
| 27 | $6,557 | $51,848 | $799,090 |
| 28 | $6,557 | $55,936 | $861,583 |
| 29 | $6,557 | $60,311 | $928,451 |
| 30 | $6,557 | $64,992 | $1,000,000 |
— Growth to the target corpus
Download— How it works
Solve the contribution P such that current savings × (1 + r)^n plus the future value of your contributions (and employer match) equals the target corpus. Target income mode sets the corpus = (income − other income) ÷ safe withdrawal rate.
Working backwards from the goal
Most retirement maths runs forwards: save X, end up with Y. This runs it backwards — you name the finish line and it tells you the contribution to get there. It takes what your current savings will grow into on their own, works out the gap to your target, and solves for the level monthly contribution whose future value closes it. Switch to income mode and it first turns your desired income into a corpus (income ÷ your withdrawal rate, so 4% means 25×), then does the same.
Worked example — $1,000,000 target, $50,000 saved, 30 years, 7% return: Your $50,000 grows to about $381,000 on its own; contributions must supply the other ~$619,000. That needs roughly $546 a month. Add a $3,000-a-year employer match and your share drops to about $296.
What lowers the number
Three levers cut what you have to find each month. An employer match is the biggest free win — it counts fully toward the target, so the calculator shows both your required amount and what you’d need without it. A step-up lets you start lower and raise contributions as your income grows, which suits a long horizon. And a future lump sum — an inheritance or the sale of an asset — is grown to retirement and netted off the target. Time and return do the rest: the more years and the higher the return, the smaller the monthly bite.
A target, not a guarantee
The contribution is solved on a steady assumed return, so real markets will run above and below it — revisit the figure every year or two and adjust. If your required annual contribution tops the 2025 employee 401(k) limit ($23,500), the calculator flags it, since you’d need an IRA or a taxable account for the rest. To go the other way — fixing a contribution and seeing the corpus it builds — use the Retirement Savings calculator.
— Reader questions
How much should I contribute to retirement each month?
Enough that your current savings plus contributions (grown at your return) reach your target. To build $1,000,000 in 30 years from $50,000 at a 7% return takes about $546 a month — less with an employer match or a higher return.
How does an employer match change it?
A match counts toward your target like your own money, so it directly lowers your required contribution. With a $3,000-a-year match on the example above, your share falls from about $546 to $296 a month — the calculator shows both.
What is a contribution step-up?
Raising your contribution by a set percentage each year as your income grows. It lets you start with a smaller amount now and still hit the target, which often fits better early in a career.
Can I target an income instead of a corpus?
Yes — switch to income mode. It converts your desired annual income into a corpus using your safe withdrawal rate (income ÷ 4% = 25× by default), then solves the contribution to reach it.
What if the required amount is more than the 401(k) limit?
The calculator flags it. The 2025 employee 401(k) limit is $23,500; beyond that you’d use an IRA (up to $7,000) or a regular taxable brokerage account to invest the rest.