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

Plan-size benchmark across all industries and states. Sourced from 699 Form 5500 filings for plan year 2024.

Headline numbers (2024)

Plans: 699
Total assets: $56.2B
Total participants: 643
Median expense ratio: 0.17%
Median employer contribution per active participant: $1,768
Median account balance: $57,425
3-year asset growth (2022–2024): +25.5%

Expense ratio distribution

25th percentile: 0.07%
Median: 0.17%
75th percentile: 0.37%

Where the fees go (average mix)

Admin / Recordkeeping: 42.8%
Investment Management: 17.0%
Audit: 2.7%
Legal: 0.2%

Employer contribution generosity

Median per active participant: $1,768
Plans with $0 employer match: 180 (25.8%)

3-year trend

Year	Plans	Assets	Participants	Median fee	Median employer $
2022	587	$44.8B	1,310	0.17%	$1,749
2023	699	$52.2B	2,256	0.16%	$1,735
2024	699	$56.2B	643	0.17%	$1,768

Methodology

All metrics are calculated from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 annual filings. The slice "500–999 participants · 403(b)" includes 699 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_999-403b.