401(k) Limits 2026: $24,500, Catch-Ups, Per-Paycheck Math

For 2026 you can put up to $24,500 of your own pay into a 401(k). If you are 50 or older you can add $8,000 more, and if you are 60, 61, 62 or 63 the extra is $11,250 instead. Here is what those limits mean for each paycheck, and the rules around them that trip people up.

The 2026 Numbers

The $24,500 limit is per person, not per plan. If you change jobs during the year, or have two jobs, everything you contribute to all your 401(k)s and 403(b)s counts toward the same $24,500. The $72,000 total limit is per employer. 403(b) plans, governmental 457(b) plans and the federal Thrift Savings Plan use the same $24,500 figure.

What It Takes per Paycheck

To max out evenly, divide your limit by the number of paychecks you get in a year.

Most plans ask for a percent of pay, not a dollar amount. Divide the limit by your salary: on $75,000 it takes 32.67% of pay, on $100,000 it takes 24.5%, and on $150,000 it takes 16.33%. Round down if your plan only takes whole percents, or you will hit the limit a paycheck or two early.

Why Hitting the Limit Early Can Cost You

Many plans match each paycheck on its own. If you reach $24,500 in October, your contributions stop, and so does the match for the rest of the year. Some plans make it up with a "true-up" deposit after year end; many don’t. Our employer match guide works through an example where front-loading costs $2,076.92 of match.

The New Roth Catch-Up Rule

Starting in 2026, if your Social Security wages from your employer were more than $150,000 in 2025, any catch-up contributions you make at that employer must go in as Roth (after tax). Your regular $24,500 can still be pre-tax. If your plan doesn’t offer a Roth option, it can’t let high earners make catch-ups at all, so check with HR before you plan on the extra $8,000 or $11,250.

Common Mistakes

• Counting the match toward your $24,500. It doesn’t. Employer money only counts toward the $72,000 total.
• Forgetting the old job. If you contributed at a job you left this year, your new plan doesn’t know. You have to track the combined total yourself. Excess contributions have to be taken out by April 15 of the next year or they are taxed twice.
• Missing the 60 to 63 window. The larger catch-up applies only in the years you turn 60, 61, 62 or 63. The year you turn 64 it drops back to $8,000.

What This Doesn't Cover

This guide covers the employee contribution limits for 401(k)-type plans. It doesn’t cover the separate rules for SIMPLE IRAs, SEP IRAs, solo 401(k)s for the self-employed, or the nondiscrimination testing that can cap contributions for highly paid employees at some companies. If your plan returns part of your contributions after testing, or you have more than one plan, check with your plan administrator or a tax professional.

Sources: IRS release IR-2025-111 (contribution and catch-up limits); IRS Notice 2025-67 ($72,000 total limit, $360,000 pay limit, $150,000 Roth catch-up threshold).