How much can I contribute to a 403(b)?
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
Long-serving employees at a school or hospital frequently have more contribution room than they realise, spread across two provisions most people never read about.
The base figures
$24,500 in elective deferrals for anyone under 50, covering pre-tax and Roth contributions combined.
$32,500 from age 50, with the $8,000 age-based catch-up.
$35,750 at ages 60, 61, 62 and 63, where the catch-up rises to $11,250 before reverting from 64.
The 15-year service catch-up
Available to employees with at least 15 years of service with the same qualifying employer, and only where the plan document includes it.
Up to $3,000 a year, capped at $15,000 lifetime and reduced by any amount used in prior years.
The calculation also depends on your average past contributions, which is why the administrator runs it rather than you.
Stacking the two catch-ups
An employee over 50 with 15 years of service may use both, and the 15-year provision is generally applied first.
At the maximum that is $24,500 plus $3,000 plus $8,000, which is $35,500, or more in the 60 to 63 band.
Few people are eligible for the full amount, and those who are tend to be exactly the people approaching retirement with catching up to do.
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The 457(b) opportunity
Many public school and hospital employers offer both a 403(b) and a 457(b).
Their deferral limits are separate rather than shared, so $24,500 can go into each in 2026.
That is the single largest piece of tax-advantaged room available to any employee, and it goes unused constantly because nobody explains that the limits do not overlap.
One limit across employers
The deferral limit belongs to you, not to each plan, so a 401(k) at one job and a 403(b) at another share the same $24,500.
Payroll systems cannot see each other, so tracking this across a job change is your responsibility.
The 457(b) exception is genuinely an exception rather than a general rule about having two plans.
Getting the calculation checked
The limit on elective deferrals worksheet in Publication 571 handles the interaction of the two catch-ups and any employer contribution.
Plan administrators run it, and the figure depends on your full service and contribution history rather than on this year alone.
Someone with 15 years of service approaching 50 has the most to gain from asking, and is the least likely to be told without asking.
Sources
The 2026 deferral, catch-up and annual additions figures are from IRS Notice 2025-67. The 15-year service catch-up and the limit-on-elective-deferrals worksheet are in Publication 571. Walnut is informational and is not an investment adviser. This guide is educational and not personalized tax advice.
FAQ
How much can I contribute to a 403(b) in 2026?
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$24,500 in elective deferrals, rising to $32,500 from age 50 with the $8,000 catch-up, and $35,750 at ages 60 to 63 where the catch-up is $11,250. A 15-year service catch-up may add up to $3,000 more where the plan offers it.
How does the 15-year catch-up work?
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With 15 years of service at the same qualifying employer, you may contribute up to $3,000 a year extra, capped at $15,000 lifetime and reduced by amounts previously used under the provision. The plan administrator calculates it from your history.
Can I use both catch-ups?
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Where the plan offers both and you qualify for both, yes, and the 15-year catch-up is generally applied first. That is a meaningful amount of extra room for a long-serving employee over 50.
Do employer contributions count against my limit?
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No. Your deferral limit covers your own contributions. Employer money falls under the separate overall annual additions limit, $72,000 for 2026.
Can I contribute to a 403(b) and a 457(b)?
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Yes, and this is the significant one: the two plans have separate deferral limits. An employee offered both can defer $24,500 into each in 2026, which is the largest workplace opportunity available to anyone.
Does a 403(b) affect my IRA contribution?
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Not the amount. You can still contribute $7,500 to an IRA in 2026. Being covered by the 403(b) does affect whether a traditional IRA contribution is deductible, through the income phase-outs.
What if I contribute too much?
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Excess deferrals must be identified and returned by the April deadline following the year they were made. Left in, they are taxed twice: once in the contribution year and again on distribution.
Who calculates my actual limit?
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The plan administrator, using the worksheet in Publication 571, because the figure depends on your full service and contribution history rather than this year alone. Someone with 15 years of service approaching 50 has the most to gain from asking.
Does a 403(b) affect what I can put in an IRA?
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Not the amount, which stays at $7,500 for 2026. Participation counts as workplace plan coverage, which affects whether a traditional IRA contribution is deductible under the income phase-outs.
Does my employer's contribution reduce what I can defer?
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No. In a 403(b) the employer contribution sits on top of your deferral limit, within the separate $72,000 annual additions ceiling. That differs from a 457(b), where employer money generally counts toward the same limit you are deferring under.