100–499 participants · 401(k) Retirement Plan Benchmarks

Plan-size benchmark across all industries and states. Sourced from 42,289 Form 5500 filings for plan year 2024.

Headline numbers (2024)

Plans: 42,289
Total assets: $826.2B
Total participants: 918,156
Median expense ratio: 0.32%
Median employer contribution per active participant: $2,150
Median account balance: $63,621
3-year asset growth (2022–2024): +31.8%

Expense ratio distribution

25th percentile: 0.13%
Median: 0.32%
75th percentile: 0.55%

Where the fees go (average mix)

Admin / Recordkeeping: 30.7%
Investment Management: 35.4%
Audit: 3.0%
Legal: 0.1%

Employer contribution generosity

Median per active participant: $2,150
Plans with $0 employer match: 5,050 (11.9%)

3-year trend

Year	Plans	Assets	Participants	Median fee	Median employer $
2022	45,393	$626.8B	553,824	0.37%	$1,738
2023	42,435	$753.0B	808,466	0.31%	$2,081
2024	42,289	$826.2B	918,156	0.32%	$2,150

Methodology

All metrics are calculated from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 annual filings. The slice "100–499 participants · 401(k)" includes 42,289 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/plan-size/s_100_499-401k.