Industry sector · Form 5500 business code 54xxxx
Professional, scientific and technical services: retirement plans
Plans whose sponsor entered a business code in this sector 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, 10,735 retirement plans in professional, scientific and technical services with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500: 10,455 defined contribution and 280 defined benefit. They reported 13,697,256 participant records and $1.35T in net assets, counting every plan on the form.
The median defined contribution plan held $74,092 per participant, well above the national median of $53,031, and its employer put in $3,227 per active participant (national: $2,174). Among plans reporting Schedule C compensation the median was $148 per participant against $123 nationally.
Employers contributed $33.1B and participants $65.0B during the year, and the plans paid out $126.9B in benefits.
In 2009 the same group numbered 8,395 plans with $400.3B; by 2024 it was 10,735 plans (up 28%) and $1.35T (up 238%). 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 | $74,092 | $53,031 | $176,655 | $86,234 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $3,227 | $2,174 | $35,855 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $148 | $123 | $453 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.22% | 0.26% | 0.30% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $140 | $116 | $598 | $527 |
Medians across plans with 100 or more participants (9,905 DC and 278 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 | $41,058 | $74,092 | $130,871 | 9,905 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $1,703 | $3,227 | $5,487 | 9,408 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $64.70 | $148 | $272 | 9,095 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $53.98 | $140 | $260 | 9,522 |
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 | 1,555 | 1,633,177 | $259.3B | $3.78B | $9.62B | $88,302 | $184 |
| 2024 | 10,735 | 13,697,256 | $1.35T | $33.1B | $65.0B | $74,092 | $148 |
| 2023 | 10,673 | 13,443,011 | $1.19T | $32.1B | $60.9B | $64,199 | $129 |
| 2022 | 11,361 | 13,453,573 | $1.04T | $30.5B | $56.1B | $49,411 | $121 |
| 2021 | 10,775 | 12,766,811 | $1.19T | $25.5B | $47.9B | $63,065 | $130 |
| 2020 | 10,628 | 11,514,154 | $1.07T | $24.5B | $42.3B | $58,390 | $115 |
| 2019 | 10,285 | 10,828,890 | $923.2B | $22.8B | $38.5B | $51,289 | $102 |
| 2018 | 9,831 | 9,956,088 | $760.1B | $20.2B | $34.1B | $44,246 | $95.66 |
| 2017 | 9,575 | 9,710,322 | $797.5B | $19.0B | $30.8B | $48,805 | $78.52 |
| 2016 | 9,319 | 9,587,197 | $709.0B | $18.6B | $29.0B | $43,940 | $67.22 |
| 2015 | 9,010 | 9,000,461 | $638.4B | $17.7B | $26.4B | $42,385 | $59.50 |
| 2014 | 8,746 | 8,619,586 | $640.5B | $16.2B | $24.1B | $44,583 | $53.66 |
| 2013 | 8,518 | 8,426,555 | $604.6B | $15.3B | $22.3B | $44,621 | $42.12 |
| 2012 | 8,262 | 8,183,907 | $515.6B | $16.0B | $20.7B | $38,747 | $41.23 |
| 2011 | 8,146 | 8,047,593 | $464.6B | $15.5B | $19.9B | $35,880 | $39.72 |
| 2010 | 8,116 | 7,712,208 | $449.9B | $13.9B | $18.5B | $37,399 | $38.91 |
| 2009 | 8,395 | 7,991,075 | $400.3B | $13.6B | $18.4B | $32,272 | $33.93 |
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 10,709 plans on this page's list, by number of plans. A plan usually names several providers.
Largest plans
The 50 largest by participants of 10,709 plans with a page on this site.
| Plan | Sponsor | State | Type | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon 401(k) Plan | Amazon.com Services, LLC | WA | DC | 1,343,800 | $34.6B | $25,742 | $759 | $5.02 |
| Express Employment Professionals 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | Express Services, Inc. | OK | DC | 400,441 | $2.5M | $6 | $0 | $0.04 |
| ADP Totalsource Retirement Savings Plan | ADP Totalsource Group, Inc. | FL | DC | 335,802 | $9.19B | $27,367 | $1,268 | $76.44 |
| Unitedhealth Group 401(k) Savings Plan | Unitedhealth Group Incorporated | MN | DC | 262,812 | $30.3B | $115,375 | $3,650 | $16.21 |
| Trinet 401(k) Plan | Trinet HR III, Inc. | CA | DC | 238,170 | $8.71B | $36,572 | $1,842 | $53.27 |
| Insperity 401(k) Plan | Insperity Holdings, Inc. | TX | DC | 231,912 | $9.38B | $40,467 | $2,437 | $40.78 |
| Justworks Retirement Savings Plan | Justworks Employment Group, LLC | NY | DC | 163,323 | $3.93B | $24,074 | $1,420 | $56.82 |
| IBM 401(k) Plan | International Business Machines Corporation | NY | DC | 144,897 | $63.3B | $437,135 | — | $249 |
| IBM Personal Pension Plan | International Business Machines Corporation | NY | DB | 144,666 | $17.6B | $121,482 | — | $393 |
| Accenture United States 401(k) Match and Savings Plan | Accenture LLP | IL | DC | 112,414 | $21.3B | $189,499 | $6,335 | $71.29 |
| Oracle Corporation 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan | Oracle Corporation | CA | DC | 99,877 | $35.0B | $350,806 | $3,705 | $36.57 |
| Ernst & Young Retirement Savings Plan | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | NJ | DC | 97,058 | $18.3B | $188,823 | $4,695 | $49.12 |
| Savings Plan for Employees and Partners of PWC | PWC US Group LLP | FL | DC | 78,776 | $13.2B | $167,146 | $2,096 | — |
| KPMG Pension Plan | KPMG LLP | NJ | DB | 71,845 | $3.07B | $42,710 | — | $114 |
| The Adecco Group 401(k) Plan | Adecco, Inc. | FL | DC | 70,422 | $874M | $12,416 | $106 | $16.58 |
| Retirement Wealth Builder Plan of PWC | PWC US Group LLP | FL | DC | 67,946 | $5.70B | $83,955 | $9,472 | — |
| TCS 401(k) Plan | Tata America International Corporation | NJ | DC | 60,401 | $2.36B | $39,049 | $2,206 | $35.12 |
| Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. Employees' Capital Accumulation Plan | Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. | VA | DC | 56,540 | $9.32B | $164,813 | $6,496 | $21.09 |
| KPMG 401(k) Capital Accumulation Plan | KPMG LLP | NJ | DC | 55,312 | $10.5B | $189,617 | $10,795 | $34.27 |
| Cognizant Technology Solutions 401(k) Savings Plan | Cognizant Technology Solutions | NJ | DC | 54,490 | $3.04B | $55,858 | $2,925 | $49.81 |
| Leidos, Inc. Retirement Plan | Leidos, Inc. | VA | DC | 54,080 | $11.8B | $218,028 | $5,265 | $49.51 |
| Publicis Benefits Connection 401(k) Plan | MMS USA Holdings, Inc. | IL | DC | 53,568 | $5.23B | $97,587 | $4,188 | $32.81 |
| National Veterinary Associates, Inc. 401(k) Plan | National Veterinary Associates, Inc. | CA | DC | 52,955 | $809M | $15,280 | $2,072 | $25.24 |
| Ernst & Young Defined Benefit Retirement Plan | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | NJ | DB | 46,245 | $2.40B | $51,942 | $4,291 | $4.99 |
| Amentum 401(k) Retirement Plan | Amentum Services, Inc. | VA | DC | 44,630 | $2.49B | $55,824 | $3,012 | $60.10 |
| Maximus, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Maximus, Inc. | VA | DC | 44,037 | $913M | $20,736 | $924 | $9.30 |
| Omnicom Group Retirement Savings Plan | Omnicom Group Inc. | NY | DC | 42,833 | $4.47B | $104,358 | $164 | $44.93 |
| Trinet Select 401(k) Plan | Trinet HR IV, LLC | CA | DC | 42,129 | $2.95B | $70,134 | $3,314 | $57.07 |
| The Savings and Investment Plan | WPP Group USA, Inc. | NY | DC | 41,591 | $4.71B | $113,260 | $3,906 | $37.91 |
| Engage PEO Retirement Savings Plan | The S2 HR Group, LLC | FL | DC | 40,710 | $1.04B | $25,521 | $1,183 | $99.19 |
| Innova Solutions, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan | Innova Solutions, Inc. | GA | DC | 40,018 | $349M | $8,715 | — | $18.11 |
| Ernst & Young Inactive Defined Benefit Retirement Plan | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | NJ | DB | 38,877 | $2.16B | $55,514 | — | $60.06 |
| Pilot Catastrophe Services, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Pilot Catastrophe Services Inc. | AL | DC | 38,839 | $155M | $3,995 | $26 | $10.40 |
| Advantage 401(k) Savings Plan | Advantage Sales & Marketing, LLC | MO | DC | 38,285 | $765M | $19,970 | $346 | $36.93 |
| Schlumberger Technology Corporation Savings and Retirement Plan | Schlumberger Technology Corporation | TX | DC | 38,251 | $7.44B | $194,589 | $9,543 | — |
| The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. Savings Plan | The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. | NY | DC | 37,524 | $4.07B | $108,565 | $3,183 | $108 |
| Fiserv 401(k) Savings Plan | Fiserv Solutions, LLC. | WI | DC | 36,649 | $5.13B | $140,064 | $3,081 | $44.12 |
| McKinsey & Company, Inc. (PSRP) Profit Sharing Retirement Plan | McKinsey & Company, Inc. | NY | DC | 35,298 | $9.81B | $277,927 | $6,312 | $59.53 |
| The Caci Smart Plan | Caci International, Inc. | VA | DC | 33,975 | $4.49B | $132,279 | $3,201 | $26.95 |
| Unifi Aviation 401(k) Retirement Plan | Unifi Aviation, LLC | GA | DC | 33,875 | $121M | $3,572 | $118 | $9.72 |
| Aecom Retirement & Savings Plan | Aecom | TX | DC | 32,344 | $6.78B | $209,521 | $2,839 | $104 |
| Science Applications International Corporation Retirement Plan | Science Applications International Corporation | VA | DC | 32,021 | $5.99B | $187,013 | $4,838 | $91.96 |
| Conduent Savings Plan | Conduent Business Services, LLC | NJ | DC | 31,630 | $1.01B | $31,920 | $74 | $23.13 |
| The Members Retirement Plan | Trustees of the Members Retirement Plan | IL | DC | 31,309 | $694M | $22,151 | — | $39.13 |
| Providence Administrative Consulting Services Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust | Providence Administrative Consulting Services Inc. | UT | DC | 30,857 | $199M | $6,440 | $103 | $11.37 |
| Baxter International Inc. and Subsidiaries U.S. Retirement Savings Plan | Baxter International Inc. | IL | DC | 29,847 | $4.58B | $153,492 | $6,749 | $117 |
| Jacobs 401(k) Plus Savings Plan | Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. | TX | DC | 29,462 | $6.38B | $216,519 | $5,079 | $56.29 |
| McKinsey & Company, Inc. (MPPP) Money Purchase Pension Plan | McKinsey & Company, Inc. | NY | DC | 29,024 | $2.15B | $74,147 | $10,197 | $49.27 |
| H & R Block Retirement Savings Plan | H&R Block Management, LLC | MO | DC | 27,766 | $1.06B | $38,021 | $1,014 | $40.97 |
| Peraton Corp. Retirement Savings Plan | Peraton Corp. | VA | DC | 26,938 | $2.52B | $93,580 | $5,581 | $55.03 |
By plan size
By state
Business codes in this sector
Codes with 20 or more plans of 100+ participants in plan year 2024. Labels are from the official Form 5500 instructions.
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans are there in professional, scientific and technical services?
10,735 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024, out of 20,742 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 professional, scientific and technical services?
The median defined contribution plan reported $74,092 in net assets per participant (middle half of plans: $41,058 to $130,871); 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 professional, scientific and technical services?
The median defined contribution plan received $3,227 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 professional, scientific and technical services?
Among defined contribution plans that report any Schedule C compensation, the median was $148 per participant and 0.22% 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.