Industry · Form 5500 business code 236200
Nonresidential Building Construction: retirement plans
Plans whose sponsor entered this principal business activity code on Form 5500.
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. The business code is chosen by the filer from the list in the Form 5500 instructions.
For plan year 2024, 862 retirement plans in nonresidential building construction with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500: 811 defined contribution and 51 defined benefit. They reported 1,434,378 participant records and $124.4B in net assets, counting every plan on the form.
The median defined contribution plan held $80,413 per participant, well above the national median of $53,031, and its employer put in $3,299 per active participant (national: $2,174). Among plans reporting Schedule C compensation the median was $195 per participant against $123 nationally.
Employers contributed $5.93B and participants $2.03B during the year, and the plans paid out $9.07B in benefits.
In 2009 the same group numbered 732 plans with $35.7B; by 2024 it was 862 plans (up 18%) and $124.4B (up 248%). From plan year 2023 the 100-participant line counts participants with account balances, which moved many plans to the short form.
Medians compared with all US plans
| Median plan, plan year 2024 | Industry: DC | US: DC | Industry: DB | US: DB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $80,413 | $53,031 | $101,684 | $86,234 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $3,299 | $2,174 | $14,596 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $195 | $123 | $363 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.27% | 0.26% | 0.44% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $196 | $116 | $555 | $527 |
Medians across plans with 100 or more participants (740 DC and 50 DB plans with a Schedule H here). Fee medians cover plans reporting an amount. DC: defined contribution, such as 401(k) and 403(b). DB: defined benefit pension.
Distribution of DC plans
| Measure | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $44,033 | $80,413 | $129,913 | 740 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $1,755 | $3,299 | $6,244 | 742 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $98.16 | $195 | $325 | 654 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $87.78 | $196 | $313 | 685 |
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Plans 100+ | Participants | Net assets | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Median DC assets / participant | Median DC Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025partial | 112 | 63,947 | $6.57B | $175M | $273M | $101,640 | $220 |
| 2024 | 862 | 1,434,378 | $124.4B | $5.93B | $2.03B | $80,413 | $195 |
| 2023 | 855 | 1,422,154 | $113.8B | $5.81B | $1.87B | $71,152 | $167 |
| 2022 | 929 | 1,374,568 | $100.5B | $5.51B | $1.65B | $56,103 | $164 |
| 2021 | 882 | 1,334,403 | $108.2B | $5.04B | $1.48B | $69,578 | $172 |
| 2020 | 853 | 1,308,841 | $100.9B | $4.69B | $1.38B | $64,511 | $153 |
| 2019 | 839 | 1,306,530 | $86.7B | $4.88B | $1.26B | $54,515 | $141 |
| 2018 | 780 | 1,099,650 | $65.8B | $3.99B | $1.11B | $46,285 | $142 |
| 2017 | 757 | 1,048,175 | $64.1B | $3.74B | $976M | $51,302 | $120 |
| 2016 | 714 | 1,020,639 | $56.7B | $3.39B | $859M | $45,022 | $107 |
| 2015 | 685 | 985,907 | $51.6B | $3.16B | $762M | $43,472 | $99.82 |
| 2014 | 662 | 938,002 | $50.8B | $2.72B | $658M | $44,881 | $98.36 |
| 2013 | 651 | 906,134 | $49.0B | $2.46B | $598M | $46,143 | $83.35 |
| 2012 | 649 | 887,407 | $42.9B | $2.29B | $547M | $39,868 | $78.17 |
| 2011 | 652 | 889,691 | $39.0B | $2.22B | $526M | $36,861 | $73.87 |
| 2010 | 674 | 917,915 | $39.1B | $2.02B | $554M | $36,540 | $77.56 |
| 2009 | 732 | 966,928 | $35.7B | $2.16B | $620M | $29,496 | $64.89 |
Plan year is the year in which the plan year began. The drop in large plans from 2023 follows a rule change: the 100-participant line now counts participants with account balances, so many plans moved to the short form.
Provider share
Service provider organisations named most often on the Schedule C of the 869 plans on this page's list, by number of plans. A plan usually names several providers.
Largest plans
The 40 largest by participants of 869 plans with a page on this site.
| Plan | Sponsor | State | Type | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers Annuity Plan for Northern California | Board of Trustees Laborers Pension Trust Fund for Nor Cal-Annuity | CA | DC | 78,189 | $1.54B | $19,659 | $5,209 | $47.46 |
| Carpenters Annuity Trust Fund for Northern California | Carpenters Annuity Trust Fund for Northern California | CA | DC | 64,162 | $3.48B | $54,266 | $4,549 | $115 |
| Carpenters Pension Trust Fund for Northern California | Carpenters Pension Trust Fund | CA | DB | 50,394 | $6.58B | $130,475 | $16,173 | $288 |
| N. Atlantic States Carp. Pension Fund | Bot of the North Atlantic States Carpenters Pension Fund | MA | DB | 45,727 | $4.91B | $107,373 | $16,821 | $252 |
| Pension Trust Fund for Operating Engineers | Board of Trustees, Pension Trust Fund for Operating | CA | DB | 45,574 | $5.40B | $118,390 | $17,354 | $331 |
| Laborers Pension Trust Fund for Northern California | Board of Trustees Laborers Pension Trust Fund for Northern California | CA | DB | 44,826 | $5.45B | $121,670 | $17,526 | $301 |
| New York District Council of Carpenters Annuity FD | Board of Trustees of the Nydcc Annuity FD | NY | DC | 38,355 | $3.69B | $96,222 | $10,714 | $5.25 |
| Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Annuity Fund | Board of Trustees Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Annuity Fund | PA | DC | 34,950 | $2.17B | $62,194 | $7,591 | $92.69 |
| Massachusetts Laborers' Annuity Fund | Bd. of Trustees of Mass. Laborers Annuity Fund | MA | DC | 31,668 | $2.26B | $71,379 | $10,967 | $144 |
| New York District Council of Carpenters Pension PL | Board of Trustees of Nycdcc Pension Fund | NY | DB | 30,149 | $5.21B | $172,686 | $20,586 | $328 |
| Indiana Laborers Pension Fund | Board of Trustees - Indiana Laborers Pension Fund | IN | DB | 28,807 | $1.81B | $62,998 | $10,385 | $268 |
| Building Trades United Pension Trust Fund Milwaukee and Vicinity | Building Trades United Pension Trust Fund | WI | DB | 28,408 | $3.52B | $123,960 | $22,207 | $480 |
| North Atlantic States Carpenters Annuity Plan | North Atlantic States Carpenters Annuity Plan | CT | DC | 27,161 | $1.34B | $49,314 | $5,903 | $197 |
| N. Atlantic States Carp. Guaranteed Annuity Fund | Bot of the North Atlantic States Carpenters Guaranteed Annuity Fund | MA | DB | 23,724 | $3.70B | $155,899 | $10,787 | $252 |
| Comfort Systems USA, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Comfort Systems USA, Inc. | TX | DC | 22,732 | $1.12B | $49,330 | $1,546 | $28.45 |
| Massachusetts Laborers' Pension Fund | Board of Trustees of Massachusetts Laborers' Pension Fund | MA | DB | 22,433 | $2.50B | $111,299 | $15,385 | $200 |
| Carpenters' Pension Trust Fund - Detroit and Vicinity | Board of Trustees of Carpenters' Pension Trust Funddetroit&vicinity | MI | DB | 22,212 | $1.34B | $60,204 | $24,832 | $188 |
| Greater Pennsylvania Carpenters' Annuity and Savings Fund | Greater Pennsylvania Carpenters' Annuity and Savings Fund | PA | DC | 21,196 | $590M | $27,827 | $3,826 | $77.03 |
| Greater Pennsylvania Carpenters' Pension Fund | Greater Pennsylvania Carpenters' Pension Fund | PA | DB | 21,052 | $1.61B | $76,630 | $12,236 | $279 |
| Mason Tenders District Council Annuity Fund | Board of Trustees Mason Tenders District Council Annuity Fund | NY | DC | 19,994 | $932M | $46,615 | $8,087 | $235 |
| Western Washington Laborers-Employers Pension Plan | Bot, Western Wa Laborers-Employers Pension Trust | WA | DB | 19,989 | $1.47B | $73,477 | $6,461 | $348 |
| Mason Tenders' District Council Pension Fund | Board of Trustees Mason Tenders District Council Pension Fund | NY | DB | 19,759 | $1.93B | $97,816 | $9,620 | $454 |
| Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters' Annuity Fund | Joint Board of Trustees of Mi Reg Council of Carpenters Annuity Fund | MI | DC | 17,503 | $527M | $30,136 | $2,216 | $130 |
| Tradesmen International, LLC 401(k) Plan | Tradesmen International, LLC | OH | DC | 15,946 | $27.6M | $1,733 | $89 | $10.12 |
| Indiana Laborers Defined Contribution Trust Fund | Board of Trustees - Indiana Laborers DC Plan | IN | DC | 15,678 | $59.7M | $3,809 | $612 | $29.69 |
| Primoris Services Corporation 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | Primoris Services Corporation | TX | DC | 14,740 | $401M | $27,236 | $1,563 | $2.87 |
| Austin Industries Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Austin Industries, Inc. | TX | DC | 12,367 | $512M | $41,370 | $88 | $42.28 |
| Wisconsin Laborers' Pension Fund | Trustees of Wisconsin Laborers' Pension Fund | WI | DB | 11,411 | $1.14B | $100,198 | $14,596 | $183 |
| Turner Retirement Investment Plan | The Turner Corporation | NY | DC | 10,507 | $2.78B | $264,232 | $9,872 | $24.15 |
| Iron Workers District Council of New England Annuity Fund | Board of Trustees Iron Workers | MA | DC | 9,989 | $614M | $61,435 | $5,827 | $51.98 |
| Construction Laborers Pension Trust of Greater St. | Construction Laborers Pension Trust of Greater St. Louis Trustees | MO | DB | 8,261 | $1.16B | $140,768 | $14,011 | $441 |
| Operating Engineers Local 101 Pension Fund | Board of Trustees of Operating Engineers Local 101 Pension Fund | MO | DB | 7,502 | $968M | $128,972 | $13,304 | $685 |
| I.B.E.W. Local Union No 357 Pension Trust Fund, Plan B | I.B.E.W. Board of Trustees for Local No 357 Pension Trust | NV | DC | 7,275 | $545M | $74,867 | $6,811 | $55.97 |
| The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company 401(k) Plan | The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company | MD | DC | 6,803 | $1.19B | $174,245 | $6,797 | $23.03 |
| McCarthy Employee Retirement Savings Plan | Genuine McCarthy Enterprises, Inc. | MO | DC | 6,671 | $701M | $105,090 | $4,697 | $118 |
| Construction Industry and Laborers Joint Pension Trust for So Nevada, Plan a | Con Ind & Laborers Joint Pension Trust Board of Trustees | NV | DB | 6,608 | $651M | $98,472 | $26,826 | $480 |
| San Diego County Construction Laborers' Pension Trust Fund | Board of Trustees, San Diego County Construction | CA | DB | 6,461 | $515M | $79,707 | $11,651 | $416 |
| Eastern Washington-Northern Idaho Carpenters 401(k) Retirement Plan | Eastern Washington-Northern Idaho | WA | DC | 6,310 | $53.3M | $8,451 | $551 | $53.12 |
| Cement Masons Pension Trust Fund for Northern California | Cement Masons Pension Trust Fund for N.cal | CA | DB | 5,984 | $775M | $129,496 | $18,659 | $427 |
| M. a. Mortenson Company Retirement Savings Plan and Trust for Trade Employees | M. a. Mortenson Company | MN | DC | 5,626 | $38.7M | $6,878 | $907 | $55.68 |
By plan size
By state
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans are there in nonresidential building construction?
862 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024, out of 1,357 pension plans on the full form. Smaller plans file Form 5500-SF and are counted separately where shown.
What is the typical 401(k) balance in nonresidential building construction?
The median defined contribution plan reported $80,413 in net assets per participant (middle half of plans: $44,033 to $129,913); nationally it was $53,031. This is a plan-level average that includes former employees, not a typical person's balance.
What do employers contribute in nonresidential building construction?
The median defined contribution plan received $3,299 in employer contributions per active participant, against $2,174 nationally. Plans with no employer contribution are included at zero.
What are average 401(k) fees in nonresidential building construction?
Among defined contribution plans that report any Schedule C compensation, the median was $195 per participant and 0.27% of net assets (nationally $123 and 0.26%). Schedule C leaves out fund expense ratios and fees the employer pays, so it understates total cost.
Where does this come from?
Form 5500 annual reports in the EBSA research files, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Medians are computed by this site across plans with 100 or more participants.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Totals count every pension plan on the full form; medians and the plan list cover plans with 100 or more participants. See the methodology.