500–999 participants · 401(k) Retirement Plan Benchmarks

Plan-size benchmark across all industries and states. Sourced from 6,670 Form 5500 filings for plan year 2024.

Headline numbers (2024)

Plans: 6,670
Total assets: $417.8B
Total participants: 9,448
Median expense ratio: 0.25%
Median employer contribution per active participant: $1,812
Median account balance: $56,530
3-year asset growth (2022–2024): +38.7%

Expense ratio distribution

25th percentile: 0.11%
Median: 0.25%
75th percentile: 0.47%

Where the fees go (average mix)

Admin / Recordkeeping: 26.5%
Investment Management: 29.0%
Audit: 2.9%
Legal: 0.2%

Employer contribution generosity

Median per active participant: $1,812
Plans with $0 employer match: 567 (8.5%)

3-year trend

Year	Plans	Assets	Participants	Median fee	Median employer $
2022	6,357	$301.3B	1,731	0.28%	$1,555
2023	6,534	$371.6B	8,566	0.24%	$1,728
2024	6,670	$417.8B	9,448	0.25%	$1,812

Methodology

All metrics are calculated from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 annual filings. The slice "500–999 participants · 401(k)" includes 6,670 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_500_999-401k.