Built for teachers, hospital staff, and nonprofit employees. Project your 403(b) balance and see how the special 15-year catch-up fits in.
A planning estimate, not a benefit statement from your provider.
403(b) plans exist because a 1958 law let public schools, hospitals, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits offer tax-deferred retirement savings through annuity contracts, decades before most of today's 401(k) rules existed. That history still shapes the product: some districts still route new hires toward an insurance-company annuity option by default, even though mutual fund choices are now standard everywhere. Contributions grow tax-deferred either way, but the fee structure on the annuity side can be meaningfully higher.
This tool assumes a constant annual return and does not model inflation, plan fees, taxes at withdrawal, or a mid-career jump in contributions from the catch-up provisions below. Treat it as a benchmark to sanity-check your own numbers, not a replacement for your provider's statement.
Unlike the age-50 catch-up that any retirement plan offers, the 403(b) 15-year rule is unique to this account type. Employees with at least 15 years of service at the same qualifying employer, school districts, hospitals, and certain church organizations among them, can become eligible for an extra catch-up contribution on top of the standard deferral limit. It is capped over your career and calculated with a formula that looks at your prior year contributions, so the exact dollar amount is not something a generic calculator can produce responsibly. Long-tenured teachers and hospital staff are the group most likely to actually qualify, and it is worth asking your benefits office to run the number rather than guessing.
| Limit | Amount | Tax year |
|---|---|---|
| Employee elective deferral | $24,500 | 2026 |
| Catch-up contribution, age 50+ | $8,000 | 2026 |
| Catch-up contribution, age 60 to 63 | $11,250 | 2026 |
Source: IRS Notice 2025-67, Nov. 13, 2025. The 15-year catch-up described above is a separate, non-indexed provision layered on top of these limits; confirm both figures and your own eligibility at irs.gov/retirement-plans/403b-plans.
Comparing employer plans generally? The 401k calculator uses the same math with the private-sector match rules instead, and the Roth vs Traditional IRA comparison is a natural next step for anyone stacking IRA savings on top of a 403(b).
They behave almost the same day to day, tax-deferred growth, similar deferral limits, employer contributions in some plans, but 403(b) plans are offered by public schools, hospitals, and other 501(c)(3) nonprofits, while 401(k) plans come from private employers. 403(b) plans historically leaned on annuity contracts from insurers, though most now offer mutual fund options too.
Employees with at least 15 years of service at the same qualifying employer, a school district, hospital, or church organization among others, may be eligible for an extra catch-up contribution on top of the regular deferral limit, subject to a lifetime cap and a formula tied to prior contributions. It stacks separately from the age-50 catch-up. Ask your plan administrator to run the calculation since the underlying formula is genuinely complicated.
403(b) plans grew out of a 1958 law that only allowed annuity contracts, and many providers built their business on that model before mutual fund options were permitted decades later. Some school districts still contract with a small list of annuity vendors, which is why fees on 403(b) plans can run higher than a comparable 401(k). Compare the expense ratio on your options before assuming the default choice is the cheapest one.
You can usually roll the balance into a new employer's plan if it accepts rollovers, into a traditional IRA, or leave it with the old provider if your balance clears the plan's minimum. A direct, provider-to-provider rollover avoids the mandatory 20% withholding that applies if the check is made out to you personally first.
Mostly, but church plans can elect out of ERISA, the federal law that sets minimum standards for private retirement plans, which changes some protections around vesting and fiduciary oversight. If you work for a religious employer, it is worth asking in writing whether the plan is ERISA-covered or has opted out.