500–999 participants · Defined Contribution Retirement Plan Benchmarks

Plan-size benchmark across all industries and states. Sourced from 668 Form 5500 filings for plan year 2024.

Headline numbers (2024)

Plans: 668
Total assets: $69.9B
Total participants: 1,402
Median expense ratio: 0.22%
Median employer contribution per active participant: $3,485
Median account balance: $77,510
3-year asset growth (2022–2024): +74.5%

Expense ratio distribution

25th percentile: 0.06%
Median: 0.22%
75th percentile: 0.48%

Where the fees go (average mix)

Admin / Recordkeeping: 24.3%
Investment Management: 25.5%
Audit: 5.7%
Legal: 2.6%

Employer contribution generosity

Median per active participant: $3,485
Plans with $0 employer match: 210 (31.4%)

3-year trend

Year	Plans	Assets	Participants	Median fee	Median employer $
2022	496	$40.1B	—	0.22%	$3,432
2023	658	$61.8B	—	0.21%	$3,792
2024	668	$69.9B	1,402	0.22%	$3,485

Methodology

All metrics are calculated from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 annual filings. The slice "500–999 participants · Defined Contribution" includes 668 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-dc.