Updated October 1, 2026. Quick answer: The 2026 limit on elective salary deferrals to a 403(b) is $24,500. Employees 50 and older can add an $8,000 catch-up, and those 60 to 63 can add $11,250. Employees with 15 years of service at certain employers may have a separate catch-up. Employer and employee additions together are generally limited to the lesser of $72,000 or 100% of includible compensation.
Related reading on this site: IRS Publication 571.
2026 403(b) limits
| Limit | 2026 amount |
|---|---|
| Elective deferrals | $24,500 |
| Catch-up, age 50 and over | $8,000 |
| Catch-up, ages 60 to 63 | $11,250 |
| Total with the age 50 catch-up (computed) | $32,500 |
| Total with the ages 60 to 63 catch-up (computed) | $35,750 |
| Annual additions limit, employer plus employee | $72,000 |
The IRS defines the basic limit as “the most an employee can contribute to a 403(b) account out of salary” and sets it at “$24,500 in 2026.” The two totals are computed here from the sourced limits.
Catch-up for age 50 and over
The IRS page says “employees who are age 50 or over at the end of the calendar year can also make catch-up contributions of $8,000 in 2026 beyond the basic limit on elective deferrals.” “For 2026, this higher catch-up contribution limit is $11,250.” The $11,250 applies to employees who are 60, 61, 62 or 63.
The 15-year service catch-up
Some 403(b) employees have a second catch-up. The IRS says that if the plan permits it, an employee with “at least 15 years of service with the same eligible 403(b) employer” has a limit increased by “the lesser of: $3,000, $15,000, reduced by the amount of additional elective deferrals made in prior years because of this rule, or $5,000 times the number of the employee’s years of service for the organization, minus the total elective deferrals made for earlier years.” It is available only at a public school system, hospital, home health service agency, health and welfare service agency, or church or related organization. When both catch-ups apply, the IRS says deferrals above the standard limit are applied first to the 15-year catch-up, to the extent permitted, and then to the age 50 catch-up.
How it fits with a 401(k)
For 401(k) plans the IRS says “Generally, you aggregate all elective deferrals you made to all plans in which you participate to determine if you have exceeded these limits.” Check with each plan administrator if you contribute to more than one plan.
The annual additions limit
The IRS describes “the combination of all employer contributions and employee elective salary deferrals to all 403(b) accounts” as generally the lesser of $72,000 in 2026 or 100% of includible compensation for the employee’s most recent year of service.
Common mistakes
- Treating each plan as having its own limit. The IRS says to aggregate elective deferrals across all the plans you participate in.
- Counting the 15-year catch-up when the plan does not offer it or the employer does not qualify.
- Adding the $8,000 and $11,250 catch-ups. Ages 60 to 63 get the higher one instead.
- Forgetting that the $72,000 annual additions limit includes employer contributions.
Related: the 2027 403(b) page, the 401(k) limits page, and the 2026 retirement numbers hub.
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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, Retirement topics: 403(b) contribution limits: https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-403b-contribution-limits
- 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.