500–999 participants · 403(b) Retirement Plan Benchmarks

Plan-size benchmark across all industries and states. Sourced from 613 Form 5500 filings for plan year 2024.

Headline numbers (2024)

Plans: 613
Total assets: $53.3B
Total participants: 643
Median expense ratio: 0.17%
Median employer contribution per active participant: $1,956
Median account balance: $67,142
3-year asset growth (2022–2024): +24.6%

Expense ratio distribution

25th percentile: 0.07%
Median: 0.17%
75th percentile: 0.36%

Where the fees go (average mix)

Admin / Recordkeeping: 44.6%
Investment Management: 16.7%
Audit: 2.9%
Legal: 0.2%

Employer contribution generosity

Median per active participant: $1,956
Plans with $0 employer match: 160 (26.1%)

3-year trend

Year	Plans	Assets	Participants	Median fee	Median employer $
2022	516	$42.8B	779	0.15%	$1,976
2023	612	$49.5B	1,309	0.16%	$1,891
2024	613	$53.3B	643	0.17%	$1,956

Methodology

All metrics are calculated from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 annual filings. The slice "500–999 participants · 403(b)" includes 613 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_999-403b.