Updated October 1, 2026. Quick answer: The 2026 401(k) catch-up limit is $8,000 for participants age 50 and over, on top of the $24,500 employee limit. Participants who are 60, 61, 62 or 63 can instead contribute up to $11,250 as a catch-up. The plan has to allow catch-up contributions, and a Roth catch-up wage threshold of $150,000 decides whether they must be made as Roth contributions.
Project a Thrift Savings Plan balance with the FERS agency match and the 2026 limits: TSP calculator.
2026 catch-up amounts
| Plan and age | Catch-up amount | Employee total with the $24,500 or $17,000 limit (computed here) |
|---|---|---|
| 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b) and TSP, age 50 and over | $8,000 | $32,500 (computed) |
| Same plans, ages 60 to 63 | $11,250 | $35,750 (computed) |
| SIMPLE plans, age 50 and over | $4,000 | $21,000 (computed) |
| SIMPLE plans, ages 60 to 63 | $5,250 | $22,250 (computed) |
The IRS release states that “participants in most 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457 plans and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan who are 50 and older generally can contribute up to $32,500 each year, starting in 2026.”
How the ages 60 to 63 limit works
The notice explains that the higher limit applies to people who “attain age 60, 61, 62, or 63 in 2026”. It replaces the $8,000 amount for those participants rather than adding to it, which is why the computed total is $35,750 and not $43,750.
The Roth catch-up wage threshold
Notice 2025-67 says the threshold “is increased from $145,000 to $150,000”. It is used to decide whether an individual’s catch-up contributions for 2026 must be designated as Roth contributions. The detail of who is covered is on the Roth catch-up requirement page.
The plan has to permit it
The IRS is explicit that catch-ups are optional for the plan: “If permitted by the 401(k) plan, participants age 50 or over at the end of the calendar year can also make catch-up contributions”. The IRS adds that you do not need to be behind on your plan contributions to be eligible to make these additional elective deferrals.
Common mistakes
- Adding the $8,000 and $11,250 catch-ups together. Ages 60 to 63 get the higher one instead.
- Assuming every plan offers catch-up contributions. The plan must permit them.
- Testing age on January 1. The age 50 test uses age at the end of the calendar year.
- Ignoring the Roth catch-up wage threshold when pay is high.
Related: the 2027 catch-up page, the ages 60 to 63 catch-up, and the catch-up calculator.
Find the right next step for your situation
About how much do you have invested? Pick the range that fits; your next step appears immediately below.
Compare vetted advisors for retirement savings
If your portfolio is $250,000 or more, this connects you (free, with no obligation to hire anyone) with 2 to 3 vetted advisors.
Before you start, what actually happens. The matching service is run by WiserAdvisor, an independent advisor-matching company. It opens on their site, asks for your ZIP code and a few questions, and matches you with 2 to 3 vetted advisors. It is free to you.
WiserAdvisor states the service is built for portfolios of $250,000 and above. By submitting, you consent to emails, phone calls and text messages from WiserAdvisor and up to three advisors, so expect to be contacted. Clear Money Guide may earn a referral payment for a qualifying completed form, whether or not you ever hire anyone.
Opens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
See how an advisor builds your plan
Price the destination before you decide. The matching service below introduces you to advisers who pay to meet you.
Before you start, what actually happens. The form is run by Kapitalwise, our advisor-matching partner. Kapitalwise sends your details to advisers who pay for the introduction, so expect calls and texts. Clear Money Guide may earn a referral payment through this service, whether or not you ever hire anyone. This is free to you and there is no obligation to hire anyone.
The Kapitalwise form opens here; you stay on this page.
What happens when you press the button
It asks about nine questions: age, investable assets, location; then your name, email and phone number, and verifies the phone by text. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button.
Prefer flat-fee or hourly pricing instead? Compare ranges here.
Answer againSources
- IRS Notice 2025-67, 2026 Amounts Relating to Retirement Plans and IRAs, as Adjusted for Changes in Cost-of-Living: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf
- IRS news release IR-2025-111 (Nov. 13, 2025), 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/401k-limit-increases-to-24500-for-2026-ira-limit-increases-to-7500
- IRS, Retirement topics: 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits: https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-401k-and-profit-sharing-plan-contribution-limits
Sources: the primary documents linked above, read on October 1, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the plan administrator or the agency itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.