1,000–4,999 participants · 401(k) Retirement Plan Benchmarks

Plan-size benchmark across all industries and states. Sourced from 6,833 Form 5500 filings for plan year 2024.

Headline numbers (2024)

Plans: 6,833
Total assets: $1494.4B
Total participants: 14,275,725
Median expense ratio: 0.09%
Median employer contribution per active participant: $1,917
Median account balance: $58,190
3-year asset growth (2024–2024): —

Expense ratio distribution

25th percentile: 0.03%
Median: 0.09%
75th percentile: 0.24%

Where the fees go (average mix)

Admin / Recordkeeping: 32.0%
Investment Management: 56.4%
Audit: 8.5%
Legal: 1.4%

Employer contribution generosity

Median per active participant: $1,917
Plans with $0 employer match: —

3-year trend

Year	Plans	Assets	Participants	Median fee	Median employer $
2024	6,833	$1494.4B	14,275,725	0.09%	$1,917

Methodology

All metrics are calculated from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 annual filings. The slice "1,000–4,999 participants · 401(k)" is served from the accepted-generation projection 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_1000_4999-401k.