What KiwiSaver contribution rates can I choose?

Employees can choose 3%, 4%, 6%, 8% or 10% of their gross pay. The higher the rate, the less your take-home now but the larger your balance grows over time, helped by your employer contribution and returns.

Does a higher rate get more employer money?

The employer contribution is a set percentage of your pay regardless of your own rate, so raising your rate does not increase the employer amount; it increases your own contribution. Check the current employer rate and government contribution rules.

How much difference does the rate make at retirement?

Over decades the difference is large, because higher contributions compound. A few percent more of your pay each year can add a substantial amount to your final balance, for a modest reduction in take-home now.

KiwiSaver Contribution Rate Calculator

This New Zealand calculator compares KiwiSaver contribution rates of 3%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% on your take-home pay and your final balance. A higher rate costs you a little now but compounds into a much larger nest egg over time. You enter your income, current balance, years to retirement and an assumed return, and the tool lays out each rate side by side so you can see the trade-off clearly.

Gross annual income

Current KiwiSaver balance

Years to retirement

Assumed annual return

Employer contribution

Your rate	Your yearly contribution	Take-home per week	Balance at retirement

Balances include your contribution plus the employer contribution, grown at your assumed return; the government contribution and contributions tax are not modelled here. Take-home is after tax and the ACC levy. Check current KiwiSaver rules. Estimate only, not financial advice.

How it works

For each rate, the calculator works out your yearly contribution as that percentage of your gross income, your take-home after tax, the ACC levy and your contribution, and your projected balance at retirement. The balance grows your current balance and each year's combined contribution, yours plus the employer's, at your assumed return. Laying the rates side by side shows what a higher rate costs your weekly pay against what it builds by retirement.

Worked example

On $70,000, moving from 3% to 6% costs about $40 a week in take-home, but over 25 years at a 5% return the extra contributions can add tens of thousands of dollars to your final balance. The table shows the exact figures for your situation so the trade-off is concrete.

Related calculators

KiwiSaver Calculator: project your balance.
KiwiSaver Retirement Calculator: retirement view.
Bonus to KiwiSaver Calculator: a bonus into KiwiSaver.
PAYE Calculator: take-home pay.

If you've found a bug, or would like to contact us, or learn more about James Graham and Calculate.co.nz.

Calculate.co.nz is partnered with Interest.co.nz for New Zealand's highest quality calculators and financial analysis.

All calculators and tools are provided for educational and indicative purposes only and do not constitute financial advice.

Calculate.co.nz is proudly part of the Realtor.co.nz group, New Zealand's leading property transaction literacy platform, helping Kiwis understand the home buying and selling process from start to finish. Whether you're a first home buyer navigating your first property purchase, an investor evaluating your next acquisition, or a homeowner planning to sell, Realtor.co.nz provides clear, independent, and trustworthy guidance on every step of the New Zealand property transaction journey.

Calculate.co.nz is also partnered with Health Based Building and Premium Homes to promote informed choices that lead to better long-term outcomes for Kiwi households.

Calculate.co.nz is hosted in Auckland via SiteHost new Zealand.

All content on this website, including calculators, tools, source code, and design, is protected under the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). No part of this site may be reproduced, copied, distributed, stored, or used in any form without prior written permission from the owner.