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 999 — 0.05%
  2. NAICS 611 — 0.14%
  3. NAICS 486 — 0.18%
  4. NAICS 622 — 0.19%
  5. NAICS 482 — 0.21%

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 — $6,367
  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 — 2,628,842
  2. NAICS 621 — 1,724,650
  3. NAICS 238 — 851,082
  4. NAICS 423 — 412,071
  5. NAICS 812 — 367,250

Full Industry ranking

# Industry Plans Assets Participants Median fee Median employer $ Median balance
1 NAICS 541 191,513 $1722.9B 2,628,842 0.40% $3,208 $72,803
2 NAICS 621 133,924 $684.0B 1,724,650 0.52% $3,000 $80,950
3 NAICS 238 53,953 $537.0B 851,082 0.53% $2,081 $50,728
4 NAICS 812 35,724 $46.1B 367,250 0.53% $1,228 $14,762
5 NAICS 561 25,957 $133.4B 360,076 0.51% $1,612 $33,056
6 NAICS 531 24,988 $97.4B 278,789 0.53% $2,351 $69,745
7 NAICS 423 24,487 $255.5B 412,071 0.38% $2,612 $82,789
8 NAICS 236 21,591 $175.9B 332,038 0.47% $2,477 $60,559
9 NAICS 523 20,953 $365.6B 205,675 0.40% $6,367 $137,368
10 NAICS 722 20,120 $39.3B 295,436 0.53% $555 $10,966
11 NAICS 524 17,432 $639.5B 178,829 0.24% $2,806 $85,143
12 NAICS 813 16,529 $138.8B 307,435 0.32% $3,171 $50,923
13 NAICS 611 15,699 $451.5B 307,937 0.14% $1,756 $36,341
14 NAICS 624 15,156 $39.2B 313,429 0.37% $1,092 $20,183
15 NAICS 332 13,523 $128.7B 284,877 0.41% $1,876 $74,927
16 NAICS 424 13,012 $168.1B 226,553 0.38% $2,547 $78,120
17 NAICS 811 12,949 $27.6B 158,999 0.42% $1,752 $40,555
18 NAICS 522 12,350 $428.6B 233,025 0.29% $2,982 $89,282
19 NAICS 441 11,066 $72.9B 243,604 0.45% $1,256 $55,262
20 NAICS 339 9,991 $467.0B 184,385 0.33% $2,078 $62,058
21 NAICS 484 7,998 $241.2B 153,310 0.52% $1,300 $33,028
22 NAICS 333 7,982 $235.4B 154,282 0.33% $2,171 $72,870
23 NAICS 713 7,681 $32.7B 120,058 0.39% $1,150 $32,403
24 NAICS 711 7,085 $60.9B 77,740 0.48% $3,489 $69,656
25 NAICS 453 7,047 $26.3B 88,392 0.42% $1,468 $36,648
26 NAICS 237 6,893 $129.9B 144,434 0.43% $2,559 $67,612
27 NAICS 511 6,791 $159.6B 104,614 0.28% $3,143 $44,534
28 NAICS 445 6,112 $174.0B 90,514 0.49% $923 $30,427
29 NAICS 446 5,630 $64.8B 77,671 0.47% $1,788 $52,007
30 NAICS 488 5,458 $52.2B 91,864 0.46% $1,930 $37,443
31 NAICS 111 5,349 $15.4B 83,235 0.49% $1,929 $63,955
32 NAICS 311 5,186 $176.0B 93,547 0.34% $1,657 $46,840
33 NAICS 623 5,153 $34.2B 108,085 0.51% $666 $19,991
34 NAICS 454 4,681 $33.1B 63,588 0.35% $2,078 $49,538
35 NAICS 325 4,501 $533.2B 75,646 0.25% $3,220 $85,568
36 NAICS 444 4,482 $41.5B 79,844 0.46% $1,801 $64,663
37 NAICS 721 4,035 $48.6B 58,180 0.45% $817 $24,316
38 NAICS 334 3,982 $351.1B 71,420 0.26% $2,684 $85,898
39 NAICS 323 3,980 $30.2B 66,724 0.45% $1,558 $70,859
40 NAICS 448 3,878 $30.3B 51,259 0.36% $1,730 $42,350
41 NAICS 336 3,686 $643.1B 66,067 0.30% $1,858 $52,845
42 NAICS 442 3,573 $13.4B 49,754 0.42% $1,874 $62,848
43 NAICS 326 3,516 $74.5B 75,125 0.34% $1,752 $63,895
44 NAICS 335 3,411 $179.9B 65,057 0.35% $2,381 $78,054
45 NAICS 221 3,355 $400.9B 54,096 0.26% $3,301 $64,151
46 NAICS 331 3,066 $79.9B 65,646 0.43% $1,949 $70,638
47 NAICS 517 2,957 $204.7B 50,470 0.33% $2,680 $66,206
48 NAICS 551 2,870 $426.2B 39,583 0.27% $2,697 $76,232
49 NAICS 519 2,828 $110.8B 38,006 0.22% $2,925 $50,265
50 NAICS 622 2,647 $773.2B 21,731 0.19% $2,053 $66,854
51 NAICS 532 2,546 $24.9B 42,183 0.40% $1,919 $42,437
52 NAICS 562 2,448 $23.3B 38,827 0.34% $1,786 $43,222
53 NAICS 115 2,425 $15.0B 43,192 0.31% $2,325 $66,704
54 NAICS 518 2,406 $44.2B 40,302 0.25% $3,290 $48,453
55 NAICS 327 2,391 $39.3B 48,477 0.39% $1,948 $61,069
56 NAICS 321 2,289 $35.5B 46,679 0.40% $1,542 $59,424
57 NAICS 512 2,210 $56.5B 24,084 0.39% $3,205 $60,715
58 NAICS 312 2,101 $70.7B 36,666 0.35% $1,600 $32,468
59 NAICS 451 2,034 $9.7B 26,399 0.42% $1,418 $38,508
60 NAICS 525 1,990 $141.8B 22,875 0.61% $5,000 $105,151
61 NAICS 492 1,959 $1.9B 69,786 0.36% $608 $4,772
62 NAICS 425 1,873 $6.3B 22,564 0.48% $3,430 $91,785
63 NAICS 485 1,751 $7.5B 30,931 0.52% $929 $15,784
64 NAICS 493 1,478 $11.3B 28,400 0.48% $1,536 $39,289
65 NAICS 112 1,458 $11.5B 21,279 0.45% $1,649 $50,429
66 NAICS 315 1,388 $11.8B 25,888 0.39% $1,738 $55,304
67 NAICS 337 1,380 $15.2B 25,675 0.43% $1,579 $45,255
68 NAICS 712 1,323 $9.0B 30,672 0.23% $1,606 $40,466
69 NAICS 443 1,307 $8.5B 18,723 0.51% $1,875 $50,224
70 NAICS 211 1,222 $54.9B 18,218 0.31% $4,539 $136,339
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 18,139 0.47% $2,554 $55,892
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 483 566 $28.0B 9,627 0.31% $3,626 $110,751
80 NAICS 113 493 $2.1B 8,251 0.47% $1,803 $62,599
81 NAICS 314 463 $9.5B 8,928 0.31% $1,658 $58,909
82 NAICS 452 420 $124.3B 5,120 0.37% $1,104 $31,876
83 NAICS 313 278 $2.4B 6,033 0.48% $1,488 $50,162
84 NAICS 316 273 $2.1B 4,733 0.47% $2,023 $64,464
85 NAICS 114 214 $610.5M 2,861 0.38% $2,105 $53,078
86 NAICS 533 189 $31.7B 3,036 0.34% $2,598 $61,828
87 NAICS 482 186 $29.4B 3,460 0.21% $2,206 $68,606
88 NAICS 487 164 $748.1M 3,368 0.22% $1,526 $42,963
89 NAICS 486 122 $11.6B 1,513 0.18% $6,503 $123,059
90 NAICS 999 25 $17.1M 233 0.05% $1,262 $18,285
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 514 4 $12.2M 47 — $8,915 $213,114
99 NAICS 457 4 $7.3M 29 2.49% $5,323 $182,978
100 NAICS 021 4 $214,911 47 — — $8,181
101 NAICS 922 4 $2.9M 43 — $3,410 $41,086
102 NAICS 900 3 $56,521 14 — $1,372 $4,037
103 NAICS 000 3 $54.6M 15 0.74% $105 $36,284
104 NAICS 421 3 $11.6M — 1.64% $19,990 $494,735
105 NAICS 591 3 $550,429 35 — $1,232 $15,573
106 NAICS 554 3 $3.9M 4 — $48,891 $857,993
107 NAICS 243 3 $826,409 19 — $3,664 $50,595
108 NAICS 310 2 $100,241 16 — $182 $6,404
109 NAICS 455 2 $33,730 10 — $69 $2,949
110 NAICS 422 2 $2.7M 22 — $24,252 $458,775
111 NAICS 516 2 $5.7M 101 — $2,058 $32,804
112 NAICS 263 2 $150,642 10 — $1,081 $14,811
113 NAICS 261 2 $1.3M 3 — $1,526 $627,043
114 NAICS 247 2 $619,902 24 — $716 $16,047
115 NAICS 246 2 $1.8M 34 — $6,736 $64,040
116 NAICS 244 2 $60,430 8 — $819 $11,044
117 NAICS 241 2 $293,394 5 — $346 $45,009
118 NAICS 233 2 $1.1M 7 — $2,315 $371,468
119 NAICS 582 2 $0 0 — — —
120 NAICS 641 2 $40,938 11 — $391 $4,309
121 NAICS 662 2 $3.7M 6 — $10,000 $532,958
122 NAICS 062 2 $4.7M 73 — $12,549 $102,267
123 NAICS 841 2 $5.3M 29 — $14,059 $325,387
124 NAICS 881 2 $1,652 2 — — $826
125 NAICS 925 2 $9.3M 81 — $5,013 $64,994
126 NAICS 480 2 $255,703 2 — $8,549 $127,852
127 NAICS 223 1 $2.2M 4 — — $548,942
128 NAICS 571 1 $6,877 10 — $97 $688
129 NAICS 581 1 $289,686 3 — $580 $96,562
130 NAICS 926 1 $448,107 16 — $3,898 $28,007
131 NAICS 590 1 $0 0 — — —
132 NAICS 283 1 $400,895 16 — $1,173 $25,056
133 NAICS 203 1 $2.1M 35 — $2,768 $59,644
134 NAICS 620 1 $146,911 13 — $168 $11,301
135 NAICS 193 1 $104,407 1 — $684 $104,407
136 NAICS 153 1 $1.4M 30 — $392 $48,322
137 NAICS 143 1 $217,101 11 — — $19,707
138 NAICS 138 1 $2.0M 0 — — —
139 NAICS 626 1 $779,240 2 — $34,053 $389,620
140 NAICS 631 1 $1.9M 32 — $4,590 $59,961
141 NAICS 632 1 $2.3M 110 — $66 $20,557
142 NAICS 033 1 $7.7M 95 — $691 $81,384
143 NAICS 651 1 $3.5M 6 — $12,500 $576,166
144 NAICS 661 1 $189,852 8 — — $23,732
145 NAICS 413 1 $274,089 2 — $1,077 $137,045
146 NAICS 132 1 $598,290 11 — $6,649 $54,390
147 NAICS 123 1 $43,614 1 — $1,730 $43,614
148 NAICS 110 1 $164,375 16 — $1,209 $10,273
149 NAICS 101 1 $1,837 8 — $25 $230
150 NAICS 432 1 $92,201 4 — $4,753 $23,050
151 NAICS 723 1 $148,820 10 — $1,761 $14,882
152 NAICS 738 1 $0 0 — — —
153 NAICS 750 1 $403,198 0 — — —
154 NAICS 771 1 $0 0 — — —
155 NAICS 772 1 — 0 — — —
156 NAICS 054 1 $4.7M 13 — $3,554 $363,995
157 NAICS 821 1 $73,276 2 — $132 $36,638
158 NAICS 831 1 $120,423 9 — $2,293 $13,380
159 NAICS 839 1 $439,966 12 — $9,535 $36,664
160 NAICS 435 1 $876,254 30 — $1,896 $29,208
161 NAICS 865 1 $1.1M 19 — $2,811 $60,303
162 NAICS 506 1 $54,632 1 — $3,130 $54,632
163 NAICS 899 1 $49,338 20 — — $2,467
164 NAICS 461 1 $2.0M 12 — $1,293 $170,255
165 NAICS 248 1 $7,111 2 — — $3,556
166 NAICS 911 1 $2.8M 39 — — $70,658
167 NAICS 916 1 $514,876 25 — $1,200 $20,595
168 NAICS 355 1 $45,099 7 — $1,067 $6,443
169 NAICS 521 1 $0 0 — — —
170 NAICS 194 1 $12.3M — 0.27% $3,813 $91,763
171 NAICS 242 1 $281,693 14 — $1,767 $20,121
172 NAICS 542 1 $402,073 4 — $75,000 $100,518
173 NAICS 546 1 $188,182 2 — — $94,091
174 NAICS 923 1 $448,041 30 — $1,130 $14,935
175 NAICS 239 1 $2.2M 6 — $1,051 $359,817
176 NAICS 520 1 $1.5M 56 — $391 $26,383
177 NAICS 235 1 $3.8M — 4.96% — $1,278,867

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.