Calculator

TSP Retirement Growth Calculator

Project your Thrift Savings Plan balance over time with contributions and assumed returns.

Free, no sign-in, and built on the current VA rate tables. The calculator runs in your browser on this page.

How the TSP grows

The Thrift Savings Plan grows from three things: what you put in, what your agency puts in, and the return the funds earn. FERS employees receive an automatic 1 percent agency contribution plus a match of up to 4 percent more when they contribute at least 5 percent of basic pay, so 5 percent from you becomes 10 percent in the account.

For 2026 the elective deferral limit is $24,500, with an additional $8,000 catch-up for anyone 50 or older, and a total annual additions limit of $72,000 including agency money.

This projection compounds the monthly contributions and match at the annual return you choose. The return is an assumption, not a forecast; the funds' actual results vary year to year.

A worked example

$80,000 salary, 5 percent contribution, 7 percent return, 25 years

1. 5 percent of $80,000 is $4,000 a year from you; the agency adds 5 percent, another $4,000, so $8,000 a year goes in.
2. At 7 percent compounded over 25 years, $8,000 a year grows to roughly $506,000.
3. Raising your own contribution to 10 percent puts $12,000 a year in and reaches roughly $759,000 over the same period.

What this estimate leaves out

• Returns are not guaranteed. A projection at 7 percent says what happens if the average return is 7 percent; some years lose money.
• The projection ignores pay raises, changes in the match, loans, taxes on withdrawal, and the difference between traditional and Roth balances.
• The higher catch-up for ages 60 to 63 under the SECURE 2.0 Act is not modeled.

Questions veterans ask

How much do I need to contribute to get the full match?

5 percent of basic pay. The agency gives 1 percent automatically, matches the first 3 percent dollar for dollar, and the next 2 percent at 50 cents on the dollar.

Does the match count toward the elective deferral limit?

No. Agency contributions count only toward the higher annual additions limit.

Traditional or Roth?

Traditional contributions reduce taxable income now and are taxed on withdrawal; Roth contributions are taxed now and come out tax-free. Agency contributions always go into the traditional balance. This calculator does not model taxes.

Do uniformed service members get a match?

Under the Blended Retirement System, yes, up to 5 percent after two years of service. Legacy High-3 members do not receive matching.

Read next

• The pension that sits beside the TSP
• Inflation adjustments on retired pay

Sources

• Contribution limits, Thrift Savings Plan
• Agency and service contributions, Thrift Savings Plan
• IRS Notice 2025-67, 2026 retirement plan limits

Other calculators

• VA Combined Rating: How several ratings combine and round.
• Monthly Compensation: Tax-free monthly pay by rating and dependents.
• Back Pay: Retroactive pay from your Intent to File date.
• Hearing Loss Rating: Your audiogram through VA's Tables VI and VII.
• Military Buy-Back: Cost and payoff of buying back active-duty time.
• FERS Pension: Pension from High-3, years, and multiplier.
• COLA Growth: How cost-of-living adjustments change retired pay.
• GI Bill: Post-9/11 tuition and housing allowance.
• Sick Leave Credit: Unused sick leave as FERS service credit.

YourVABenefits is software you run on your own records. It is not part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and does not file claims. You file on VA.gov, or an accredited representative files for you at no charge.