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

Plan-size benchmark across all industries and states. Sourced from 7,060 Form 5500 filings for plan year 2024.

Headline numbers (2024)

Plans: 7,060
Total assets: $442.7B
Total participants: 10,343
Median expense ratio: 0.25%
Median employer contribution per active participant: $1,821
Median account balance: $56,027
3-year asset growth (2022–2024): +39.4%

Expense ratio distribution

25th percentile: 0.10%
Median: 0.25%
75th percentile: 0.48%

Where the fees go (average mix)

Admin / Recordkeeping: 26.5%
Investment Management: 28.8%
Audit: 2.8%
Legal: 0.2%

Employer contribution generosity

Median per active participant: $1,821
Plans with $0 employer match: 691 (9.8%)

3-year trend

Year	Plans	Assets	Participants	Median fee	Median employer $
2022	6,728	$317.7B	3,836	0.28%	$1,565
2023	6,905	$392.4B	11,409	0.24%	$1,739
2024	7,060	$442.7B	10,343	0.25%	$1,821

Methodology

All metrics are calculated from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 annual filings. The slice "500–999 participants · 401(k)" includes 7,060 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_500_999-401k.