Catch-Up Contribution Calculator
See your total retirement contribution limit including the age-50 catch-up amount for 401(k), IRA, and similar plans.
How to use this tool
- Select your retirement plan type.
- Enter your age — catch-up eligibility starts the year you turn 50.
- Read your total limit, base limit, and catch-up amount.
- Use the figure to set your payroll deferral for the year.
Turning 50 unlocks extra retirement contribution room. Pick your plan and enter your age to see your total contribution limit including the catch-up.
Formula
Eligibility: you may make catch-up contributions in any year you are age 50 or older by year-end.
Catch-up amount = plan's catch-up limit if eligible, else $0 (2024: $7,500 for 401(k)/403(b)/457(b), $1,000 for IRAs, $3,500 for SIMPLE IRAs).
Total contribution limit = Base limit + Catch-up amount.
How it works
Catch-up contributions let savers age 50 and older put extra money into tax-advantaged retirement accounts above the standard annual limit — a deliberate policy nudge to help people accelerate saving in the final stretch before retirement. The extra room is on top of, not instead of, the regular limit.
This calculator pairs each plan's 2024 base elective-deferral limit with its catch-up amount and adds them whenever you are at least 50. The 401(k), 403(b), and most 457(b) plans share a $23,000 base and $7,500 catch-up; IRAs use $7,000 and $1,000; SIMPLE IRAs use $16,000 and $3,500. Eligibility turns on entirely in the calendar year you reach 50, even if your birthday is in December.
These are the 2024 figures and reflect the elective-deferral limits only — they exclude employer matching and the higher overall plan contribution cap, and they do not model the SECURE 2.0 enhanced catch-up for ages 60–63 or the Roth catch-up rule for high earners. Reviewed by the AbraCalc Retirement Desk against published IRS limits. This calculator provides general information, not financial advice; consult a qualified professional for decisions about your own situation.
Worked example
A 52-year-old in a 401(k) in 2024
- Base 401(k) elective deferral limit for 2024 = $23,000.
- Age 52 is at least 50, so the saver is catch-up eligible.
- Catch-up amount for 401(k) plans = $7,500.
- Total limit = $23,000 + $7,500 = $30,500.
Your total contribution limit: $30,500 — a $23,000 base plus a $7,500 catch-up.
2024 base limits and catch-up amounts by plan
| Plan type | Base limit | Catch-up (50+) | Total (50+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 401(k) / 403(b) / 457(b) | $23,000 | $7,500 | $30,500 |
| Traditional or Roth IRA | $7,000 | $1,000 | $8,000 |
| SIMPLE IRA | $16,000 | $3,500 | $19,500 |
Key terms
- Catch-up contribution
- An extra amount savers age 50 and older may contribute above the standard annual limit.
- Elective deferral limit
- The base cap on how much you can contribute from your own pay to a 401(k) or similar plan in a year.
- Age-50 rule
- Catch-up eligibility begins in the calendar year you turn 50, regardless of which month your birthday falls in.
- SECURE 2.0
- Legislation that, among other changes, adds an enhanced catch-up for ages 60–63 starting in 2025 — not modeled here.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a catch-up contribution?
- It is extra money savers age 50 and older can contribute to a retirement plan above the standard annual limit — $7,500 for a 401(k) in 2024, $1,000 for an IRA.
- When can I start making catch-up contributions?
- In the calendar year you turn 50. You qualify for the whole year even if your 50th birthday is in December.
- Does the catch-up apply to both 401(k) and IRA?
- Yes, but separately. You can add the 401(k) catch-up to your workplace plan and the IRA catch-up to your IRA in the same year.
- Are these the current limits?
- These are the 2024 figures. Limits are indexed for inflation and SECURE 2.0 adds an enhanced catch-up for ages 60–63 from 2025, so check the latest IRS numbers each year.