1,000–4,999 participants · 401(k) Retirement Plan Benchmarks

Plan-size benchmark across all industries and states. Sourced from 6,401 Form 5500 filings for plan year 2024.

Headline numbers (2024)

Plans: 6,401
Total assets: $1408.3B
Total participants: 4,547
Median expense ratio: 0.17%
Median employer contribution per active participant: $1,911
Median account balance: $60,461
3-year asset growth (2022–2024): +36.9%

Expense ratio distribution

25th percentile: 0.08%
Median: 0.17%
75th percentile: 0.36%

Where the fees go (average mix)

Admin / Recordkeeping: 23.6%
Investment Management: 28.0%
Audit: 3.2%
Legal: 0.4%

Employer contribution generosity

Median per active participant: $1,911
Plans with $0 employer match: 437 (6.8%)

3-year trend

Year	Plans	Assets	Participants	Median fee	Median employer $
2022	5,877	$1028.6B	—	0.19%	$1,774
2023	6,105	$1244.3B	2,115	0.17%	$1,913
2024	6,401	$1408.3B	4,547	0.17%	$1,911

Methodology

All metrics are calculated from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 annual filings. The slice "1,000–4,999 participants · 401(k)" includes 6,401 plans for plan year 2024. Medians use percentile_cont over reported values; zero/null values are excluded from rate-style metrics.

Citation: PlanProvider.Pro, Form 5500 Benchmarks 2024. Free for editorial use with attribution + link to https://planprovider.pro/benchmarks/cohort/s_1000_4999-401k.