How to use the retirement countdown calculator
- Choose to set the retirement day by a date or by an age.
- Enter the retirement date, or your date of birth and the retirement age in whole years.
- Leave Count from on today, or change it to any date. Add the date you started working if you want a progress bar.
- Read the days, weeks, months and workdays left, then copy, print or share the result.
Formula
Days left = day number of the retirement date - day number of the count from date
Weekdays = the number of Mondays to Fridays from the count from date up to, but not including, the retirement date
Progress = (days from start date to today) / (days from start date to retirement) x 100
With an age, the retirement date is the birthday in the retirement year. A February 29 birthday falls on February 28 in years that are not leap years.
From October 12, 2026 to June 30, 2031
The count is 1,722 calendar days, which is 246 weeks exactly. In years, months and days that is 4 years, 8 months and 18 days. Of those days, 1,230 are weekdays from Monday to Friday and 492 are weekend days.
If someone born on May 15, 1970 plans to retire at 65, the retirement day is May 15, 2035. From the same start date that is 3,137 days and 2,241 weekdays. With a career start date of January 3, 2000, the progress bar for the first example shows about 85% of the way from the start date to the retirement date.
What is counted
The calculator counts the days from the date you count from, up to the retirement day itself, without counting the first day. Weekdays are all the Mondays through Fridays in that span, so they include public holidays and your own days off. To count working days with holidays removed, use the business days calculator.
The years, months and days result counts whole calendar months first and then the leftover days, the same way an age is stated. For the exact time between two dates use the days between dates calculator, and for your age today use the age calculator.
Choosing the date
Many people pick a date such as the last day of a month, or the birthday on which they reach a certain age. When you pick an age, the tool uses that exact birthday. Rules for when you can retire, when benefits begin and what they pay depend on your plan, your employer and your situation, and are not modeled here. Use the date your plan documents give you.
The countdown also works for any other end date, such as the end of a contract or a degree. To see what you might have saved by that time, try the retirement calculator.
Sharing and privacy
The share option builds a link from the dates you entered. Anyone who opens the link sees those dates, so leave the date of birth out if you would rather not share it.
Assumptions and limits
- The retirement day must be after the count from date. A past date shows a message instead of a result.
- Weekdays are Monday to Friday and include public holidays and personal days off.
- A retirement age is in whole years, and the retirement day is that birthday.
- The tool counts time only. It does not check retirement age rules, benefits or plan terms.
Frequently asked questions
How many days until I retire?
Enter your retirement date and leave Count from on today. The result is the number of calendar days left, with weeks, months and weekdays alongside.
How is the retirement date found from an age?
It is your birthday in the year you reach that age. For a birth date of May 15, 1970 and an age of 65, it is May 15, 2035.
Are weekends and holidays included in the days left?
The calendar day count includes every day. The weekday count leaves out Saturdays and Sundays but includes holidays, so use the business days calculator if you need to remove holidays as well.
What does the progress bar show?
It shows how far you are between the date you started working and your retirement day, as a percent of the total days between the two.