Retirement Plan Benchmarks by Industry

Ranking every NAICS-3 industry by 401(k) and DC plan fees, employer contributions, participation, and average account balance — sourced from DOL Form 5500 filings.

177 industries ranked from 2024 Form 5500 filings.

Lowest fees — top 5 industries

Median plan expense ratio

  1. NAICS 611 — 0.14%
  2. NAICS 486 — 0.18%
  3. NAICS 622 — 0.19%
  4. NAICS 482 — 0.21%
  5. NAICS 487 — 0.22%

Highest fees — top 5 industries

Median plan expense ratio

  1. NAICS 525 — 0.61%
  2. NAICS 722 — 0.53%
  3. NAICS 238 — 0.53%
  4. NAICS 812 — 0.53%
  5. NAICS 531 — 0.53%

Most generous employers

Median employer contribution per active participant

  1. NAICS 486 — $6,503
  2. NAICS 523 — $6,360
  3. NAICS 525 — $5,000
  4. NAICS 211 — $4,539
  5. NAICS 483 — $3,626

Most participants covered

Total participants across all reporting plans

  1. NAICS 541 — 2,628,848
  2. NAICS 621 — 1,724,939
  3. NAICS 238 — 851,531
  4. NAICS 423 — 412,045
  5. NAICS 812 — 366,836

Full Industry ranking

# Industry Plans Assets Participants Median fee Median employer $ Median balance
1 NAICS 541 191,526 $1723.3B 2,628,848 0.40% $3,208 $72,806
2 NAICS 621 133,930 $684.1B 1,724,939 0.52% $3,000 $80,950
3 NAICS 238 53,964 $537.0B 851,531 0.53% $2,081 $50,728
4 NAICS 812 35,701 $46.1B 366,836 0.53% $1,227 $14,758
5 NAICS 561 25,966 $133.4B 360,228 0.51% $1,612 $33,068
6 NAICS 531 24,986 $97.3B 278,807 0.53% $2,351 $69,717
7 NAICS 423 24,488 $255.5B 412,045 0.38% $2,612 $82,811
8 NAICS 236 21,596 $175.9B 331,955 0.47% $2,476 $60,548
9 NAICS 523 20,960 $365.6B 205,762 0.40% $6,360 $137,376
10 NAICS 722 20,123 $39.3B 295,527 0.53% $556 $10,976
11 NAICS 524 17,431 $639.5B 178,604 0.24% $2,806 $85,114
12 NAICS 813 16,536 $138.8B 307,397 0.32% $3,167 $50,865
13 NAICS 611 15,705 $451.5B 307,988 0.14% $1,756 $36,347
14 NAICS 624 15,157 $39.2B 313,612 0.37% $1,092 $20,166
15 NAICS 332 13,524 $128.6B 284,943 0.41% $1,875 $74,895
16 NAICS 424 13,011 $168.1B 226,542 0.38% $2,547 $78,154
17 NAICS 811 12,942 $27.6B 158,831 0.42% $1,753 $40,597
18 NAICS 522 12,350 $428.6B 233,114 0.29% $2,982 $89,282
19 NAICS 441 11,062 $72.9B 243,427 0.45% $1,256 $55,262
20 NAICS 339 9,984 $466.9B 184,150 0.33% $2,078 $62,032
21 NAICS 484 7,999 $241.2B 153,366 0.52% $1,299 $33,043
22 NAICS 333 7,988 $235.4B 154,360 0.33% $2,167 $72,870
23 NAICS 713 7,679 $32.7B 119,938 0.39% $1,150 $32,407
24 NAICS 711 7,081 $60.9B 77,620 0.48% $3,489 $69,490
25 NAICS 453 7,044 $26.3B 88,324 0.42% $1,467 $36,648
26 NAICS 237 6,889 $129.9B 144,465 0.43% $2,561 $67,642
27 NAICS 511 6,791 $159.6B 104,526 0.28% $3,146 $44,572
28 NAICS 445 6,108 $173.9B 90,376 0.48% $921 $30,427
29 NAICS 446 5,633 $64.8B 77,720 0.47% $1,789 $52,038
30 NAICS 488 5,460 $52.2B 91,882 0.46% $1,931 $37,362
31 NAICS 111 5,349 $15.4B 83,214 0.49% $1,927 $63,964
32 NAICS 311 5,190 $176.0B 93,643 0.34% $1,660 $46,777
33 NAICS 623 5,151 $34.2B 108,079 0.51% $667 $20,002
34 NAICS 454 4,678 $33.1B 63,477 0.35% $2,078 $49,550
35 NAICS 325 4,505 $533.2B 75,907 0.25% $3,219 $85,555
36 NAICS 444 4,480 $41.5B 79,860 0.46% $1,803 $64,580
37 NAICS 721 4,036 $48.6B 58,202 0.45% $818 $24,345
38 NAICS 334 3,987 $351.1B 71,560 0.26% $2,685 $85,833
39 NAICS 323 3,983 $30.2B 66,784 0.45% $1,557 $70,844
40 NAICS 448 3,879 $30.3B 51,270 0.36% $1,730 $42,324
41 NAICS 336 3,687 $643.1B 66,131 0.30% $1,858 $52,868
42 NAICS 442 3,573 $13.4B 49,757 0.42% $1,874 $62,843
43 NAICS 326 3,515 $74.5B 75,089 0.34% $1,751 $63,875
44 NAICS 335 3,410 $179.9B 65,006 0.35% $2,379 $78,052
45 NAICS 221 3,355 $400.9B 54,064 0.26% $3,298 $64,249
46 NAICS 331 3,065 $79.9B 65,537 0.43% $1,951 $70,754
47 NAICS 517 2,960 $204.8B 50,575 0.33% $2,678 $66,237
48 NAICS 551 2,870 $426.2B 39,664 0.27% $2,697 $76,198
49 NAICS 519 2,826 $110.8B 37,970 0.22% $2,926 $50,200
50 NAICS 622 2,645 $772.8B 21,701 0.19% $2,053 $66,849
51 NAICS 532 2,542 $24.9B 42,115 0.40% $1,914 $42,437
52 NAICS 562 2,448 $23.3B 38,824 0.34% $1,788 $43,222
53 NAICS 115 2,422 $15.0B 43,140 0.31% $2,325 $66,960
54 NAICS 518 2,408 $44.2B 40,427 0.25% $3,295 $48,465
55 NAICS 327 2,393 $39.3B 48,510 0.39% $1,950 $61,069
56 NAICS 321 2,287 $35.5B 46,518 0.40% $1,541 $59,424
57 NAICS 512 2,210 $56.5B 24,260 0.39% $3,203 $60,772
58 NAICS 312 2,101 $70.7B 36,663 0.35% $1,600 $32,462
59 NAICS 451 2,032 $9.7B 26,381 0.43% $1,418 $38,508
60 NAICS 525 1,989 $141.8B 22,803 0.61% $5,000 $105,843
61 NAICS 492 1,958 $1.9B 69,782 0.36% $607 $4,760
62 NAICS 425 1,873 $6.3B 22,558 0.48% $3,430 $91,785
63 NAICS 485 1,747 $7.5B 30,926 0.52% $929 $15,750
64 NAICS 493 1,478 $11.3B 28,402 0.48% $1,538 $39,331
65 NAICS 112 1,456 $11.5B 21,267 0.45% $1,652 $50,170
66 NAICS 315 1,390 $11.8B 25,914 0.39% $1,739 $55,078
67 NAICS 337 1,382 $15.2B 25,684 0.43% $1,579 $45,255
68 NAICS 712 1,323 $9.0B 30,672 0.23% $1,606 $40,466
69 NAICS 443 1,306 $8.5B 18,603 0.52% $1,871 $50,332
70 NAICS 211 1,220 $54.9B 18,178 0.31% $4,539 $136,294
71 NAICS 481 1,055 $261.4B 18,723 0.28% $2,603 $62,810
72 NAICS 447 1,029 $6.5B 14,920 0.49% $1,227 $44,639
73 NAICS 212 1,006 $39.5B 17,583 0.33% $2,835 $78,991
74 NAICS 322 972 $61.1B 19,956 0.33% $1,926 $82,526
75 NAICS 324 971 $157.5B 16,619 0.29% $2,699 $65,914
76 NAICS 213 950 $12.4B 18,134 0.47% $2,551 $55,820
77 NAICS 515 876 $86.6B 14,769 0.24% $2,236 $71,888
78 NAICS 921 691 $3.8B 11,697 0.36% $2,873 $38,530
79 NAICS 483 565 $28.0B 9,621 0.31% $3,626 $110,985
80 NAICS 113 493 $2.1B 8,251 0.47% $1,803 $62,599
81 NAICS 314 464 $9.5B 8,976 0.31% $1,642 $59,006
82 NAICS 452 420 $124.3B 5,120 0.37% $1,104 $31,876
83 NAICS 313 278 $2.4B 5,992 0.48% $1,494 $50,162
84 NAICS 316 272 $2.1B 4,723 0.47% $2,023 $65,214
85 NAICS 114 214 $610.5M 2,861 0.38% $2,105 $53,078
86 NAICS 533 188 $31.7B 3,027 0.34% $2,632 $63,136
87 NAICS 482 186 $29.4B 3,460 0.21% $2,206 $68,606
88 NAICS 487 166 $749.3M 3,405 0.22% $1,417 $42,059
89 NAICS 486 122 $11.6B 1,513 0.18% $6,503 $123,059
90 NAICS 999 24 $17.0M 232 0.05% $1,262 $17,945
91 NAICS 513 13 $77.4M 29 0.34% $6,032 $82,524
92 NAICS 449 10 $11.4M 174 1.71% $2,006 $52,206
93 NAICS 459 9 $835,615 51 — $2,160 $12,239
94 NAICS 456 9 $2.6M 26 — $1,624 $12,542
95 NAICS 814 6 $182,400 8 — $923 $20,470
96 NAICS 230 5 $2.8M 26 — $865 $7,219
97 NAICS 458 5 $4.5M 49 — $2,101 $64,004
98 NAICS 457 4 $7.3M 29 2.49% $5,323 $182,978
99 NAICS 021 4 $214,911 47 — — $8,181
100 NAICS 514 4 $12.2M 47 — $8,915 $213,114
101 NAICS 922 4 $2.9M 43 — $3,410 $41,086
102 NAICS 591 3 $550,429 35 — $1,232 $15,573
103 NAICS 554 3 $3.9M 4 — $48,891 $857,993
104 NAICS 881 3 $318,450 28 — $487 $6,505
105 NAICS 421 3 $11.6M — 1.64% $19,990 $494,735
106 NAICS 900 3 $56,521 14 — $1,372 $4,037
107 NAICS 243 3 $826,409 19 — $3,664 $50,595
108 NAICS 000 3 $54.6M 15 0.74% $105 $36,284
109 NAICS 062 2 $4.7M 73 — $12,549 $102,267
110 NAICS 310 2 $100,241 16 — $182 $6,404
111 NAICS 641 2 $40,938 11 — $391 $4,309
112 NAICS 261 2 $1.3M 3 — $1,526 $627,043
113 NAICS 241 2 $293,394 5 — $346 $45,009
114 NAICS 662 2 $3.7M 6 — $10,000 $532,958
115 NAICS 516 2 $5.7M 101 — $2,058 $32,804
116 NAICS 422 2 $2.7M 22 — $24,252 $458,775
117 NAICS 263 2 $150,642 10 — $1,081 $14,811
118 NAICS 582 2 $0 0 — — —
119 NAICS 925 2 $9.3M 81 — $5,013 $64,994
120 NAICS 480 2 $255,703 2 — $8,549 $127,852
121 NAICS 841 2 $5.3M 29 — $14,059 $325,387
122 NAICS 248 2 $7,111 2 — — $3,556
123 NAICS 247 2 $619,902 24 — $716 $16,047
124 NAICS 233 2 $1.1M 7 — $2,315 $371,468
125 NAICS 246 2 $1.8M 34 — $6,736 $64,040
126 NAICS 244 2 $60,430 8 — $819 $11,044
127 NAICS 455 2 $33,730 10 — $69 $2,949
128 NAICS 661 1 $189,852 8 — — $23,732
129 NAICS 193 1 $104,407 1 — $684 $104,407
130 NAICS 153 1 $1.4M 30 — $392 $48,322
131 NAICS 143 1 $217,101 11 — — $19,707
132 NAICS 138 1 $2.0M 0 — — —
133 NAICS 132 1 $598,290 11 — $6,649 $54,390
134 NAICS 723 1 $148,820 10 — $1,761 $14,882
135 NAICS 738 1 $0 0 — — —
136 NAICS 750 1 $403,198 0 — — —
137 NAICS 771 1 $0 0 — — —
138 NAICS 772 1 — 0 — — —
139 NAICS 123 1 $43,614 1 — $1,730 $43,614
140 NAICS 110 1 $164,375 16 — $1,209 $10,273
141 NAICS 101 1 $1,837 8 — $25 $230
142 NAICS 821 1 $73,276 2 — $132 $36,638
143 NAICS 831 1 $120,423 9 — $2,293 $13,380
144 NAICS 839 1 $439,966 12 — $9,535 $36,664
145 NAICS 865 1 $1.1M 19 — $2,811 $60,303
146 NAICS 899 1 $49,338 20 — — $2,467
147 NAICS 911 1 $2.8M 39 — — $70,658
148 NAICS 916 1 $514,876 25 — $1,200 $20,595
149 NAICS 054 1 $4.7M 13 — $3,554 $363,995
150 NAICS 033 1 $7.7M 95 — $691 $81,384
151 NAICS 923 1 $448,041 30 — $1,130 $14,935
152 NAICS 461 1 $2.0M 12 — $1,293 $170,255
153 NAICS 506 1 $54,632 1 — $3,130 $54,632
154 NAICS 435 1 $876,254 30 — $1,896 $29,208
155 NAICS 432 1 $92,201 4 — $4,753 $23,050
156 NAICS 926 1 $448,107 16 — $3,898 $28,007
157 NAICS 413 1 $274,089 2 — $1,077 $137,045
158 NAICS 355 1 $45,099 7 — $1,067 $6,443
159 NAICS 520 1 $1.5M 56 — $391 $26,383
160 NAICS 521 1 $0 0 — — —
161 NAICS 283 1 $400,895 16 — $1,173 $25,056
162 NAICS 542 1 $402,073 4 — $75,000 $100,518
163 NAICS 546 1 $188,182 2 — — $94,091
164 NAICS 242 1 $281,693 14 — $1,767 $20,121
165 NAICS 239 1 $2.2M 6 — $1,051 $359,817
166 NAICS 571 1 $6,877 10 — $97 $688
167 NAICS 581 1 $289,686 3 — $580 $96,562
168 NAICS 590 1 $0 0 — — —
169 NAICS 235 1 $3.8M — 4.96% — $1,278,867
170 NAICS 620 1 $146,911 13 — $168 $11,301
171 NAICS 223 1 $2.2M 4 — — $548,942
172 NAICS 203 1 $2.1M 35 — $2,768 $59,644
173 NAICS 194 1 $12.3M — 0.27% $3,813 $91,763
174 NAICS 626 1 $779,240 2 — $34,053 $389,620
175 NAICS 631 1 $1.9M 32 — $4,590 $59,961
176 NAICS 632 1 $2.3M 110 — $66 $20,557
177 NAICS 651 1 $3.5M 6 — $12,500 $576,166

Source: U.S. Department of Labor — Form 5500 filings (2024). Medians use percentile_cont over reported values. Free for editorial use with attribution to PlanProvider.Pro.