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TAX YEAR 2026 · IRS LIMITS457(b) Calculator
If you work for a government or a non-profit, your 457(b) may be the most flexible retirement plan you own. This calculator finds your personal 2026 contribution limit, shows exactly what a deferral does to your paycheck, and projects your balance at retirement.
- 100% free, no sign-up
- 2026 limits & catch-ups built in
- Pre-tax vs Roth paycheck impact
- Runs privately in your browser
The most anyone can defer from salary into a 457(b) in 2026, at any age.
An extra $8,000 catch-up applies from age 50 — except at ages 60–63, where it is bigger.
The catch-up rises to $11,250 for the four years from age 60 through 63.
In the 3 years before your plan's normal retirement age, if you under-contributed before.
Your details
Your age sets which catch-ups you qualify for in 2026.
The projection runs from your current age to this age.
Your gross pay for the whole year, before any tax or deductions.
Your 457(b) contribution
Only your own salary deferrals count toward the IRS limit — employer money never does.
That's $13,000 a year at your current pay frequency.
Pre-tax deferrals skip federal income tax today (Social Security & Medicare still apply). Roth deferrals are taxed today and come out tax-free in retirement.
Available only in the 3 years before your plan's normal retirement age, and only for amounts you were allowed to contribute in past years but didn't. It can lift your 2026 cap as high as $49,000 — but it cannot be combined with the age-50 catch-up: if both could apply, you get whichever single cap is higher. Turn this on only if your plan administrator confirms you're eligible.
Your projection
Used only for the growth estimate — none of these change your limit or your taxes.
Optional. Does not count toward your limit.
A long-run planning assumption, not a promise — markets don't move in straight lines.
Base limit — no catch-up at age 45.
Take-home pay with your 457(b) contribution.
After 20 years of contributions at a 7% assumed return.
How to read these numbers: the tax figures are a federal estimate only — no state tax is included, though your state may also give you a break on pre-tax deferrals. The projection assumes the return you entered, earned evenly with contributions spread monthly; real markets vary and returns are not guaranteed. This calculator is an educational estimate, not financial or tax advice — confirm your exact limit with your plan administrator, especially before using the special catch-up.
How this 457(b) calculator works
Three calculations happen the moment you change any number — no button to press.
Your personal limit
The IRS base limit for 2026 is $24,500. Your age can raise it: +$8,000 from age 50, +$11,250 at ages 60–63, and the special 3-year catch-up can take it to $49,000. The two catch-ups never stack — you get the single higher cap.
Your paycheck, with and without
We run your salary through the real 2026 federal brackets twice — once with no deferral, once with yours. A pre-tax deferral shrinks only the income-tax slice; Social Security and Medicare are always charged on your full wages.
Your balance at retirement
Your current balance plus monthly contributions from you (and your employer, if any) are compounded monthly at the return you choose, from your current age to your planned retirement age.
What is a 457(b), and who gets one?
A 457(b) is a deferred compensation plan — a retirement account your employer runs for you, funded straight out of your paycheck before you ever see the money.
You will only ever meet one if you work for a state or local government (cities, counties, states, police and fire departments, public transit), a public school, college or university, a public hospital, or a tax-exempt non-profit such as a charity. Private for-profit companies cannot offer one — they use 401(k)s instead. Some employers offer a 457(b) alongside a 403(b) or 401(k), which is where the plan gets interesting: because the limits are completely separate, you can max out both.
The famous advantage: no 10% penalty
With a 401(k) or 403(b), taking money out before age 59½ usually costs a 10% early-withdrawal penalty on top of tax. A governmental 457(b) has no such penalty: once you leave the job — at any age — you can withdraw your money owing only ordinary income tax on pre-tax contributions.
That makes the 457(b) the go-to plan for anyone planning to retire early, change careers, or bridge the years before other accounts open up.
One honest caution: non-governmental plans
If your 457(b) comes from a non-profit rather than a government, the rules are less friendly: by law, the money technically remains your employer's asset until it is paid to you, which means it is exposed to the employer's creditors in the meantime.
Governmental 457(b) money, by contrast, must be held in trust for you. Know which kind you have before you lean on it heavily.
457(b) contribution limits for 2026
Your maximum depends on your age at the end of 2026 — and, in your final working years, on how much you skipped in earlier years.
| Your situation in 2026 | Catch-up | Max you can defer |
|---|---|---|
| Under age 50 | — | $24,500 |
| Ages 50–59 | +$8,000 age-50 catch-up | $32,500 |
| Ages 60–63 | +$11,250 SECURE 2.0 catch-up | $35,750 |
| Age 64 and over | +$8,000 age-50 catch-up | $32,500 |
| Last 3 years before normal retirement age | Special catch-up, up to 2× the base limit | Up to $49,000 |
The special catch-up is the lesser of twice the base limit or the base limit plus your unused contribution room from earlier years — so $49,000 is a ceiling, not a guarantee. It also cannot be combined with the age-50 catch-up: in a year when both could apply, you use whichever limit is higher. Your employer's contributions never count against any of these figures.
457(b) vs 401(k): the differences that matter
The two plans look alike on a pay stub. Underneath, three differences are worth real money.
| 457(b) | 401(k) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who offers it | Governments & tax-exempt non-profits | Private for-profit employers |
| 2026 limit (under 50) | $24,500 | $24,500 |
| Separate limit? | Yes — you can max a 457(b) AND a 403(b)/401(k): $49,000 combined in 2026, $65,000 at 50+ | 401(k) and 403(b) share one combined limit |
| Withdraw after leaving the job | Governmental plans: no 10% penalty, any age | 10% penalty before 59½, with some exceptions |
| Catch-ups | Age-50 catch-up, bigger 60–63 catch-up, plus a special 3-year catch-up (never combined) | Age-50 catch-up and the 60–63 SECURE 2.0 catch-up only |
| Whose money is it? | Governmental: held in trust for you. Non-governmental: legally the employer's asset until paid | Held in trust for you |
If your employer offers both a 403(b) and a 457(b) — common at public universities and hospitals — the standard play is to fill the 457(b) first if you might leave before 59½, because of the penalty-free exit, then add the second plan as your budget allows.
457(b) questions, answered
How much can I contribute to a 457(b) in 2026?
For 2026 the basic 457(b) elective deferral limit is $24,500. If you are 50 or older you can add an $8,000 catch-up, for a maximum of $32,500. At ages 60 to 63 the SECURE 2.0 catch-up is larger — $11,250 — for a maximum of $35,750. And in the three years before your plan's normal retirement age, the special 457(b) catch-up can raise your limit to as much as $49,000 if you under-contributed in earlier years.
Can I have a 457(b) and a 403(b) or 401(k) at the same time?
Yes. The 457(b) limit is completely separate from the 401(k) and 403(b) limit, so if your employer offers both plans you can max out each one. In 2026 that means up to $49,000 of salary deferrals across the two plans — $65,000 if you are 50 or older and use the catch-up in both.
What happens to my 457(b) if I leave my job early?
With a governmental 457(b), once you leave the job you can withdraw your money at any age with no 10% early-withdrawal penalty — you only owe ordinary income tax on pre-tax money. That is the 457(b)'s famous advantage over a 401(k) or 403(b). You can also leave the money in the plan or roll a governmental 457(b) into an IRA or a new employer's plan.
Should I choose pre-tax or Roth for my 457(b)?
Pre-tax contributions lower your taxable income today, so each paycheck drops by less than the amount you contribute — but withdrawals in retirement are taxed. Roth contributions come out of after-tax pay, so your check falls by the full amount, but qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. Pre-tax usually wins if you expect a lower tax bracket in retirement; Roth usually wins if you expect the same or a higher one. Note that from 2026, if your prior-year Social Security wages topped $150,000, catch-up contributions must be Roth.
What is the special 457(b) catch-up?
In each of the three years before the year you reach your plan's normal retirement age, you may be able to contribute up to double the regular limit — $49,000 in 2026. Your actual special catch-up is the smaller of twice the base limit or the base limit plus the amounts you were allowed to contribute in earlier years but didn't. It cannot be combined with the age-50 catch-up: in a year when both could apply, you use whichever single limit is higher.
Does my employer's contribution count toward my 457(b) limit?
No. The $24,500 limit for 2026 (plus any catch-up you qualify for) covers only your own salary deferrals. Money your employer puts in does not reduce the amount you are allowed to contribute, which is why this calculator keeps employer contributions separate — they count toward your projected balance, not toward your limit.