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

Plan-size benchmark across all industries and states. Sourced from 38,891 Form 5500 filings for plan year 2024.

Headline numbers (2024)

Plans: 38,891
Total assets: $753.1B
Total participants: 814,276
Median expense ratio: 0.32%
Median employer contribution per active participant: $2,096
Median account balance: $63,627
3-year asset growth (2022–2024): +31.4%

Expense ratio distribution

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

Where the fees go (average mix)

Admin / Recordkeeping: 30.6%
Investment Management: 36.0%
Audit: 3.2%
Legal: 0.0%

Employer contribution generosity

Median per active participant: $2,096
Plans with $0 employer match: 4,024 (10.3%)

3-year trend

Year	Plans	Assets	Participants	Median fee	Median employer $
2022	41,719	$573.2B	461,228	0.37%	$1,690
2023	39,041	$686.7B	704,338	0.31%	$2,032
2024	38,891	$753.1B	814,276	0.32%	$2,096

Methodology

All metrics are calculated from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 annual filings. The slice "100–499 participants · 401(k)" includes 38,891 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_100_499-401k.