IRS 401(k) and IRA contribution limits, with catch-up amounts, year by year through 2026. ✓ IRS
Employee elective deferral (401k/403b/457) and IRA limits, with age-50+ catch-up.
| Year | 401(k) limit | 401(k) catch-up | IRA limit | IRA catch-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $24,500 | +$8,000 | $7,000 | +$1,000 |
| 2025 | $23,500 | +$7,500 | $7,000 | +$1,000 |
| 2024 | $23,000 | +$7,500 | $7,000 | +$1,000 |
| 2023 | $22,500 | +$7,500 | $6,500 | +$1,000 |
| 2022 | $20,500 | +$6,500 | $6,000 | +$1,000 |
| 2021 | $19,500 | +$6,500 | $6,000 | +$1,000 |
| 2020 | $19,500 | +$6,500 | $6,000 | +$1,000 |
For 2026, the employee contribution limit for 401(k), 403(b) and most 457 plans is $24,500, up from $23,500 in 2025. Savers aged 50 and older can add a catch-up contribution of $8,000. The IRA limit (traditional and Roth combined) is $7,000, plus a $1,000 catch-up. The IRS reviews these limits annually and raises them with inflation, which is why they step up most years.
Employer matching and profit-sharing do not count toward your employee limit — they fall under a separate, much higher overall plan cap, so a generous match never reduces how much you can contribute yourself. See how maxing out compounds over time with our 401(k) calculator, Roth IRA calculator and retirement calculator.
The same dollar limit covers both traditional and Roth versions combined. Roth IRA eligibility phases out at higher incomes, while high earners often use a 401(k) or a backdoor Roth. These are US limits; the UK (ISAs/pensions), Canada (RRSP/TFSA) and Australia (superannuation) use their own separate systems and caps.
The 401(k) limit and the IRA limit are independent of each other. Contributing the maximum to a workplace 401(k) does not reduce what you may put into an IRA, and the two have different ceilings, different catch-up provisions and different rules about who qualifies.
The employee deferral limit — $24,500 for 2026 — applies only to your own contributions. Employer matching sits outside it, under a much higher combined ceiling, which is why a plan statement can show a total well above the number in this table without anything being wrong. Catch-up contributions add a further amount from age 50.
IRA eligibility is where the detail bites. A traditional IRA contribution may or may not be deductible depending on income and on whether a workplace plan covers you, and Roth contributions phase out entirely above an income threshold. Neither restriction stops you contributing to a 401(k). The limits also change most years with inflation indexing, so a figure carried over from a previous year is a common source of over-contribution.