Boeing Will Match Up to 10% of Your Pay, Dollar for Dollar. Are You Taking All of It?
The people building Apaches in Mesa have access to one of the richest 401(k) matches in corporate America, plus after-tax Roth conversions most employees never switch on, plus, for longer-tenured folks, a frozen pension with a one-time election waiting at the end. I help Boeing Mesa employees run the full stack instead of the default settings.
Schedule a conversation with JayThe Match Is the Headline. The After-Tax Door Is the Story.
Boeing's Voluntary Investment Plan matches eligible nonunion employees dollar-for-dollar up to 10% of eligible pay (eligible union groups have their own formulas, commonly 100% up to 8%). On a $120,000 salary, contributing 10% means Boeing adds $12,000 a year. Easy numbers: contribute 6% instead, and you hand back $4,800 of compensation, every year, compounding.
| You contribute (on $120,000) | Boeing adds | Left on the table |
|---|---|---|
| 4% ($4,800) | $4,800 | $7,200 per year |
| 7% ($8,400) | $8,400 | $3,600 per year |
| 10% ($12,000) | $12,000 | $0 |
Then the second gear: the VIP supports after-tax contributions with in-plan Roth conversion, the mega backdoor Roth. Between your $24,500 deferral, the match, and after-tax dollars, total contributions can push toward the $72,000 all-sources limit (2026), with the after-tax slice converting to tax-free Roth growth. You can project what the full stack builds by retirement with your own numbers.
The Frozen Pension and the Apache Backlog
Hired Before 2016? You Hold a Frozen Benefit.
Boeing's traditional pension stopped accruing years ago, and the company held that line through the 2024 machinists strike. If you were hired before the freeze, your earned benefit is intact and waiting, along with a lump sum versus annuity election at retirement that is irrevocable and interest-rate sensitive.
The decision framework mirrors the one I wrote up for Raytheon's pension election: your plan's own quote governs, and the annuity deserves a fair hearing against the lump sum, especially with survivor needs in the picture.
Mesa's Backlog Buys Planning Time. Use It.
Mesa has built the Apache for 50 years, and 2025 brought roughly $4.7 billion in contracts for 184 new AH-64Es plus a $2.7 billion support award. Around 5,000 Boeing employees work across Arizona, most of them at the Mesa plant. A contracted backlog is job-stability most workers envy.
Stability is exactly when good planning is cheapest: maxing the match, switching on the after-tax Roth pipeline, and setting your pension election strategy years early, instead of deciding everything in the sixty days before a retirement date.
Plan terms referenced on this page are current as of July 2026; confirm the specifics with your benefits administrator. Jay Chang is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The Boeing Company or any of its subsidiaries. All company names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
A 10% match deserves a 100% plan.
Bring your VIP statement and, if you have one, your pension estimate. I'll check your match capture, map the after-tax Roth opportunity, and set up the pension election long before you need it.