500–999 participants · Defined Contribution Retirement Plan Benchmarks

Plan-size benchmark across all industries and states. Sourced from 1,144 Form 5500 filings for plan year 2024.

Headline numbers (2024)

Plans: 1,144
Total assets: $97.8B
Total participants: 2,297
Median expense ratio: 0.23%
Median employer contribution per active participant: $2,614
Median account balance: $59,886
3-year asset growth (2022–2024): +67.2%

Expense ratio distribution

25th percentile: 0.07%
Median: 0.23%
75th percentile: 0.50%

Where the fees go (average mix)

Admin / Recordkeeping: 26.0%
Investment Management: 24.7%
Audit: 4.0%
Legal: 1.6%

Employer contribution generosity

Median per active participant: $2,614
Plans with $0 employer match: 354 (30.9%)

3-year trend

Year	Plans	Assets	Participants	Median fee	Median employer $
2022	937	$58.5B	—	0.26%	$2,433
2023	1,116	$85.3B	2,964	0.23%	$2,657
2024	1,144	$97.8B	2,297	0.23%	$2,614

Methodology

All metrics are calculated from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 annual filings. The slice "500–999 participants · Defined Contribution" includes 1,144 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-dc.