100–499 participants · 403(b) Retirement Plan Benchmarks

Plan-size benchmark across all industries and states. Sourced from 2,801 Form 5500 filings for plan year 2024.

Headline numbers (2024)

Plans: 2,801
Total assets: $77.5B
Total participants: 36,882
Median expense ratio: 0.16%
Median employer contribution per active participant: $2,155
Median account balance: $70,396
3-year asset growth (2022–2024): +38.0%

Expense ratio distribution

25th percentile: 0.06%
Median: 0.16%
75th percentile: 0.40%

Where the fees go (average mix)

Admin / Recordkeeping: 57.4%
Investment Management: 15.1%
Audit: 2.2%
Legal: 0.1%

Employer contribution generosity

Median per active participant: $2,155
Plans with $0 employer match: 747 (26.7%)

3-year trend

Year	Plans	Assets	Participants	Median fee	Median employer $
2022	2,428	$56.2B	20,101	0.16%	$1,858
2023	2,945	$73.4B	33,850	0.15%	$2,083
2024	2,801	$77.5B	36,882	0.16%	$2,155

Methodology

All metrics are calculated from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 annual filings. The slice "100–499 participants · 403(b)" includes 2,801 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_499-403b.