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Industry · Form 5500 business code 541211
Offices of Certified Public Accountants: 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.
331 retirement plans in offices of certified public accountants with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024 (315 defined contribution, 16 defined benefit). All Form 5500 pension filers in the group reported 766,286 participant records and $100.8B in net assets.
The median defined contribution plan held $138,355 per participant, well above the national median of $53,031, and its employer put in $4,135 per active participant (national: $2,174). Among plans reporting Schedule C compensation the median was $203 per participant against $123 nationally.
Employers contributed $3.16B and participants $3.81B during the year, and the plans paid out $7.91B in benefits.
In 2009 the same group numbered 268 plans with $19.8B; by 2024 it was 331 plans (up 24%) and $100.8B (up 409%). 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 | $138,355 | $53,031 | $70,443 | $86,234 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $4,135 | $2,174 | $10,768 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $203 | $123 | $73.98 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.14% | 0.26% | 0.09% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $203 | $116 | $155 | $527 |
Medians across plans with 100 or more participants (291 DC and 16 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 | $101,725 | $138,355 | $178,316 | 291 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $2,849 | $4,135 | $6,375 | 288 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $80.23 | $203 | $343 | 266 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $75.86 | $203 | $351 | 284 |
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 | 29 | 38,494 | $5.13B | $105M | $251M | $161,033 | $137 |
| 2024 | 331 | 766,286 | $100.8B | $3.16B | $3.81B | $138,355 | $203 |
| 2023 | 342 | 781,339 | $89.9B | $3.16B | $3.57B | $122,974 | $175 |
| 2022 | 345 | 996,017 | $105.6B | $4.25B | $3.71B | $108,081 | $167 |
| 2021 | 336 | 725,105 | $86.0B | $2.67B | $2.85B | $131,382 | $185 |
| 2020 | 329 | 765,697 | $85.0B | $3.33B | $2.50B | $126,312 | $161 |
| 2019 | 327 | 672,073 | $67.7B | $2.37B | $2.35B | $110,310 | $156 |
| 2018 | 310 | 638,031 | $57.3B | $2.16B | $2.13B | $95,731 | $146 |
| 2017 | 304 | 608,545 | $55.7B | $1.85B | $2.01B | $102,980 | $121 |
| 2016 | 299 | 761,821 | $65.2B | $2.57B | $2.31B | $90,889 | $123 |
| 2015 | 283 | 578,050 | $43.3B | $1.88B | $1.63B | $84,702 | $117 |
| 2014 | 266 | 541,178 | $41.2B | $1.66B | $1.43B | $89,746 | $107 |
| 2013 | 259 | 510,704 | $37.9B | $1.26B | $1.28B | $85,871 | $99.03 |
| 2012 | 252 | 485,216 | $32.4B | $1.19B | $1.20B | $72,766 | $100 |
| 2011 | 255 | 541,884 | $32.3B | $1.52B | $1.43B | $64,659 | $86.10 |
| 2010 | 264 | 451,785 | $26.4B | $972M | $1.01B | $66,308 | $89.07 |
| 2009 | 268 | 406,600 | $19.8B | $598M | $1.11B | $54,812 | $73.28 |
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 321 plans on this page's list, by number of plans. A plan usually names several providers.
Largest plans
The 40 largest by participants of 321 plans with a page on this site.
| Plan | Sponsor | State | Type | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Retirement Wealth Builder Plan of PWC | PWC US Group LLP | FL | DC | 67,946 | $5.70B | $83,955 | $9,472 | — |
| KPMG 401(k) Capital Accumulation Plan | KPMG LLP | NJ | DC | 55,312 | $10.5B | $189,617 | $10,795 | $34.27 |
| Ernst & Young Defined Benefit Retirement Plan | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | NJ | DB | 46,245 | $2.40B | $51,942 | $4,291 | $4.99 |
| Ernst & Young Inactive Defined Benefit Retirement Plan | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | NJ | DB | 38,877 | $2.16B | $55,514 | — | $60.06 |
| The RSM US LLP Retirement Plan | RSM US, LLP | IA | DC | 21,754 | $3.38B | $155,156 | $6,696 | $72.47 |
| Grant Thornton Advisors LLC Employees' Retirement Plan | Grant Thornton Advisors LLC | IL | DB | 17,013 | $528M | $31,026 | $4,074 | $0.27 |
| Retirement Benefit Accumulation Plan for Employees of PWC | PWC US Group LLP | FL | DB | 15,528 | $1.93B | $124,495 | $310 | $84.20 |
| BDO USA Retirement Plan | BDO USA, P.C. | IL | DC | 15,045 | $1.94B | $129,197 | $4,150 | $57.26 |
| Grant Thornton Advisors LLC 401(k) Savings Plan | Grant Thornton Advisors LLC | IL | DC | 12,383 | $1.69B | $136,215 | $1,664 | $56.93 |
| CliftonLarsonAllen LLP 401(k) Retirement Plan | CliftonLarsonAllen LLP | MN | DC | 11,085 | $1.78B | $160,877 | $4,088 | $56.47 |
| BDO USA Employee Stock Ownership Plan | BDO USA, P.C. | IL | DC | 8,306 | −$148M | — | $30,651 | — |
| Crowe LLP Retirement Plan | Crowe LLP | IN | DC | 7,442 | $1.33B | $178,751 | $2,908 | $67.08 |
| 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan for Employees of Moss Adams LLP & Affiliates | Moss Adams LLP | WA | DC | 6,020 | $633M | $105,213 | $6,191 | $100 |
| Cohnreznick LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Cohnreznick LLC | NJ | DC | 5,420 | $751M | $138,585 | $1,939 | $75.48 |
| Retirement Wealth Builder Plan for Business Services Staff of PWC | PWC US Group LLP | FL | DC | 5,379 | $265M | $49,312 | $5,234 | — |
| Forvis Mazars, LLP Employees Savings Plan II | Forvis Mazars, LLP | MO | DC | 5,251 | $881M | $167,808 | $13,332 | $45.23 |
| P & M Holding Group, LLP & Affiliated Entities Tax Savings Plan | P & M Holding Group, LLP | MI | DC | 5,207 | $747M | $143,552 | $3,571 | $66.63 |
| Forvis Mazars, LLP Employees' Savings Plan I | Forvis Mazars, LLP | MO | DC | 5,196 | $955M | $183,728 | $13,756 | $41.10 |
| Eisner Advisory Group, LLC Retirement Plan | Eisner Advisory Group, LLC | NY | DC | 4,870 | $699M | $143,591 | $1,736 | $75.30 |
| Retirement Accumulation Plan for Partners of PWC | PWC US Group LLP | FL | DB | 4,312 | $2.64B | $612,108 | $86,856 | $11.34 |
| Eide Bailly LLP 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Eide Bailly LLP | ND | DC | 4,210 | $705M | $167,409 | $8,652 | $91.51 |
| Ernst & Young Partnership Retirement (HR-10) Plan | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | NJ | DC | 3,902 | $2.54B | $649,858 | $45,492 | $42.25 |
| Ernst & Young Partnership Defined Benefit Retirement Plan | Ernst & Young U.S. LLP | NJ | DB | 3,767 | $3.02B | $801,267 | $63,012 | $63.76 |
| Armanino Advisory LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Armanino Advisory LLC | CA | DC | 3,471 | $412M | $118,697 | $4,466 | $112 |
| Wipfli LLP 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Wipfli LLP | WI | DC | 3,457 | $811M | $234,510 | $9,851 | $71.58 |
| KPMG Partner Pension Plan | KPMG LLP | NJ | DB | 3,267 | $1.86B | $570,427 | — | $614 |
| Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC 401(k) Plan | Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC | VA | DC | 2,963 | $263M | $88,745 | $4,136 | $132 |
| Citrin Cooperman Retirement Savings Plan | Citrin Cooperman Advisors LLC | NY | DC | 2,909 | $370M | $127,121 | $2,479 | — |
| KPMG Partner Retirement Savings Plan | KPMG LLP C/o Total Rewards Dept | NJ | DC | 2,601 | $524M | $201,462 | — | $48.68 |
| Withumsmith+brown 401(k) Employee Savings Plan | Withumsmith+brown PC | NJ | DC | 2,478 | $326M | $131,590 | $1,940 | $235 |
| Onepoint Hro, LLC Multiple Employer 401(k) Plan | Onepoint Hro, LLC | CO | DC | 2,469 | $44.9M | $18,168 | $988 | $108 |
| Sikich Employees' 401(k) Plan | Sikich LLC | IL | DC | 2,455 | $280M | $114,079 | $3,766 | $17.35 |
| PKF O'Connor Davies 401(k) Savings & Retirement Plan | Pkfod Management Company LLC | NY | DC | 2,086 | $336M | $160,883 | $3,605 | $334 |
| Aprio Employees Retirement Plan | Aprio Holdings LLC | GA | DC | 2,035 | $217M | $106,851 | $4,649 | $126 |
| Horne LLP Profit Sharing Plan | Horne LLP | MS | DC | 1,933 | $108M | $55,682 | $3,590 | $164 |
| The Siegfried Group's 401(k) Plan | The Siegfried Group, LLP | DE | DC | 1,929 | $252M | $130,848 | $6,980 | $69.61 |
| KPMG Personal Account for Retirement | KPMG LLP C/o Total Rewards Dept | NJ | DC | 1,877 | $272M | $144,977 | — | $51.22 |
By plan size
By state
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans are there in offices of certified public accountants?
331 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024, out of 1,226 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 offices of certified public accountants?
The median defined contribution plan reported $138,355 in net assets per participant (middle half of plans: $101,725 to $178,316); 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 offices of certified public accountants?
The median defined contribution plan received $4,135 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 offices of certified public accountants?
Among defined contribution plans that report any Schedule C compensation, the median was $203 per participant and 0.14% 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.