KiwiSaver on $70,000 Salary over 40 Years

Assumptions behind this projection

• Employee contribution: 3% of gross salary (you can opt for 4%, 6%, 8% or 10%).
• Employer contribution: 3.5% from 1 April 2026 (rising to 4% from 1 April 2028 per the Taxation Budget Measures Act 2025). Before 1 April 2026 the minimum was 3%.
• Salary growth: 2.5% per year — long-run NZ wage growth average.
• Investment return: 5% per year net of fees — a balanced fund assumption. Growth funds can return 6–7% but with more volatility.
• Starting balance: $0. If you already have KiwiSaver savings, add them via the "start with $50k" tile above or use the retirement projector.
• Government contribution (Member Tax Credit): not included in this headline figure. For most members contributing 3%+, the annual $260.72 MTC adds roughly $14,600 over 40 years when compounded — use the dedicated calculator to include it.
• Tax on fund growth (PIE): the 5% return is net of fees but not net of PIE tax. At a 28% PIR this reduces growth slightly; at a 10.5% PIR the drag is minimal.

How the 2026-27 rate changes affect this projection

From 1 April 2026 the default employee contribution rate rose from 3% to 4%, and the employer minimum rose from 3% to 3.5%. Existing members on 3% are being auto-migrated to 4% unless they apply for a temporary rate reduction (3–12 months) via myIR. From 1 April 2028 the employer minimum rises again to 4%.

This page projects the 3% + 3.5% scenario so you can see the "baseline" outcome. If you stay on the new 4% default your balance grows faster — roughly $128,035 more than the 3% case over the same 40 years (approximate; use the retirement projector for an exact figure).