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Industry · Form 5500 business code 541310
Architectural Services: 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.
342 retirement plans in architectural services with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024 (340 defined contribution, 2 defined benefit). All Form 5500 pension filers in the group reported 156,131 participant records and $17.3B in net assets.
The median defined contribution plan held $117,494 per participant, well above the national median of $53,031, and its employer put in $3,191 per active participant (national: $2,174). Among plans reporting Schedule C compensation the median was $252 per participant against $123 nationally.
Employers contributed $389M and participants $796M during the year, and the plans paid out $1.52B in benefits.
In 2009 the same group numbered 293 plans with $4.65B; by 2024 it was 342 plans (up 17%) and $17.3B (up 272%). 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 | $117,494 | $53,031 | $13,677 | $86,234 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $3,191 | $2,174 | $7,117 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $252 | $123 | $0.22 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.23% | 0.26% | 0.00% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $242 | $116 | $0.22 | $527 |
Medians across plans with 100 or more participants (314 DC and 1 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 | $81,246 | $117,494 | $158,999 | 314 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $2,037 | $3,191 | $4,638 | 296 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $103 | $252 | $401 | 277 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $81.73 | $242 | $400 | 289 |
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 | 43 | 17,158 | $2.14B | $47.9M | $92.2M | $141,006 | $346 |
| 2024 | 342 | 156,131 | $17.3B | $389M | $796M | $117,494 | $252 |
| 2023 | 330 | 156,322 | $15.1B | $333M | $745M | $106,678 | $228 |
| 2022 | 334 | 147,892 | $13.0B | $322M | $692M | $93,431 | $220 |
| 2021 | 326 | 134,687 | $14.4B | $257M | $593M | $113,980 | $245 |
| 2020 | 320 | 129,990 | $12.6B | $245M | $551M | $104,640 | $214 |
| 2019 | 310 | 130,653 | $10.5B | $219M | $520M | $86,599 | $186 |
| 2018 | 305 | 125,812 | $8.66B | $243M | $511M | $74,953 | $179 |
| 2017 | 298 | 129,773 | $10.0B | $232M | $463M | $80,203 | $148 |
| 2016 | 280 | 123,260 | $8.40B | $211M | $422M | $70,654 | $128 |
| 2015 | 270 | 117,074 | $7.61B | $175M | $364M | $69,887 | $119 |
| 2014 | 260 | 114,247 | $7.33B | $169M | $324M | $74,488 | $109 |
| 2013 | 255 | 107,718 | $6.75B | $149M | $291M | $72,541 | $88.48 |
| 2012 | 245 | 107,020 | $5.68B | $132M | $277M | $64,065 | $76.88 |
| 2011 | 244 | 103,775 | $4.89B | $118M | $247M | $58,722 | $75.62 |
| 2010 | 257 | 104,350 | $4.94B | $107M | $248M | $58,274 | $66.63 |
| 2009 | 293 | 119,090 | $4.65B | $105M | $269M | $49,042 | $56.59 |
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 330 plans on this page's list, by number of plans. A plan usually names several providers.
Largest plans
The 40 largest by participants of 330 plans with a page on this site.
| Plan | Sponsor | State | Type | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oldcastle Building Envelope 401(k) Plan | Oldcastle Building Envelope, Inc. | TX | DC | 7,000 | $333M | $47,500 | $2,764 | $49.24 |
| Gensler 401(k) Savings Plan | Gensler | CA | DC | 5,915 | $717M | $121,254 | — | $78.82 |
| Gensler Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Gensler | CA | DC | 4,856 | $454M | $93,461 | $8,790 | $0.20 |
| Perkins&will, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan | Perkins&will, Inc. | IL | DC | 3,060 | $414M | $135,413 | $4,395 | $103 |
| Exyte Americas 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | Exyte Americas Holding, Inc. | TX | DC | 2,574 | $152M | $59,221 | $3,147 | $91.66 |
| Hok Group, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Hok Group, Inc. | MO | DC | 2,550 | $362M | $141,900 | $3,272 | $103 |
| DLR Group 401(k) Plan and ESOP | DLR Holding Company | NE | DC | 2,283 | $478M | $209,268 | $2,635 | $60.24 |
| The Smithgroup Retirement Accumulation Plan | Smithgroup Companies, Inc. | MI | DC | 2,279 | $335M | $147,115 | $4,210 | $200 |
| Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP 401(k) Savings Plan | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP | IL | DC | 2,069 | $286M | $138,229 | $3,072 | $96.27 |
| Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust | Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. | NY | DC | 2,015 | $396M | $196,524 | $6,722 | $20.88 |
| The Cannon Corporation 401(k) Plan | The Cannon Corporation | NY | DC | 1,963 | $274M | $139,366 | $2,857 | $99.39 |
| HKS, Inc. 401(k) Plan | HKS, Inc. | TX | DC | 1,865 | $291M | $155,988 | $3,195 | $65.07 |
| J.S. Held LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | J.S. Held LLC | NY | DC | 1,757 | $175M | $99,515 | $4,735 | $145 |
| Exp U.S. Services, Inc. Saving and Retirement Plan | Exp U.S. Services, Inc. | IL | DC | 1,591 | $231M | $145,002 | $4,351 | $232 |
| Hga 401(k) Savings Plan | Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Inc. | MN | DC | 1,571 | $260M | $165,341 | $3,886 | $130 |
| Agi 401(k) Plan | Architectural Graphics, Inc. | VA | DC | 1,459 | $60.0M | $41,153 | $2,588 | $235 |
| Perkins Eastman Architects, DPC 401(k) Plan | Perkins Eastman Architects, DPC | NY | DC | 1,432 | $163M | $114,092 | $300 | $73.39 |
| Corgan Associates, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Corgan Associates, Inc. | TX | DC | 1,399 | $123M | $87,800 | $3,288 | $133 |
| PBK Architects, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan & Trust | PBK Architects, Inc. | TX | DC | 1,391 | $121M | $87,009 | $419 | $105 |
| Page Southerland Page, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Page Southerland Page, Inc. | TX | DC | 1,384 | $12.6M | $9,127 | $217 | $68.98 |
| Bolton & Menk, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Bolton & Menk, Inc. | MN | DC | 1,365 | $192M | $141,006 | $3,862 | $178 |
| Corgan Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Corgan Associates Holdings, Inc. | TX | DC | 1,289 | $123M | $95,683 | $7,882 | — |
| Leo a. Daly Retirement Savings and Investment Trust | Leo a Daly Company | NE | DC | 1,281 | $173M | $134,762 | $3,822 | $148 |
| Walter P Moore & Associates, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Walter P Moore & Associates, Inc. | TX | DC | 1,156 | $180M | $155,558 | $2,564 | $23.97 |
| NBBJ Group Retirement Savings and Investment Plan | NBBJ Design | WA | DC | 1,106 | $194M | $175,261 | $965 | $80.56 |
| Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. | IL | DC | 1,087 | $468M | $430,806 | $10,131 | $167 |
| Employee Stock Ownership Plan for Employees of David Volkert and Associates, Inc. and Subsidiaries | David Volkert & Associates, Inc. | AL | DC | 1,052 | $182M | $172,855 | $1,207 | — |
| GPD Group 401(k) Retirement Plan | Glaus, Pyle, Schomer, Burns & Dehaven, Inc. | OH | DC | 987 | $211M | $214,051 | $8,082 | $156 |
| Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP 401(k) Savings Plan | Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP | OR | DC | 952 | $151M | $158,837 | $2,712 | $115 |
| The Foth Companies, LLC 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | The Foth Companies, LLC | WI | DC | 895 | $209M | $234,022 | $3,919 | $225 |
| Ewingcole Cash-Op Plan | Ewingcole, Inc. | PA | DC | 831 | $186M | $223,836 | $9,504 | $48.96 |
| Moregroup Holdings 401(k) Plan | Moregroup Holdings | TX | DC | 813 | $62.5M | $76,849 | $3,095 | $211 |
| Ncsfa Pooled Employer Plan | Definiti, LLC | PA | DC | 797 | $30.7M | $38,524 | $912 | $84.26 |
| Allstate Sales Group Inc. 401(k) Plan | Allstate Sales Group Inc. | NJ | DC | 797 | $12.6M | $15,809 | $1,690 | $185 |
| Barge Design Solutions, Inc. Employees' Profit Sharing Plan | Barge Design Solutions, Inc. | TN | DC | 763 | $142M | $186,162 | $5,195 | $425 |
| Wunderlich-Malec Engineering, Inc. Profit Sharing and Salary Reduction Plan | Wunderlich-Malec Engineering, Inc. | MN | DC | 748 | $127M | $169,343 | $6,593 | $81.73 |
| Populous 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | Populous Group, LLC | MO | DC | 721 | $94.9M | $131,603 | $3,910 | $219 |
| Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, P. C. 401(k) Employee Savings and Profit Sharing Plan | Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, P.C. | NY | DC | 677 | $105M | $154,916 | $4,264 | $5.87 |
| Socotec, Inc. Profit Sharing Plan | Socotec, Inc. | NY | DC | 666 | $82.7M | $124,235 | $3,159 | $436 |
| Harley Ellis Devereaux Employees' Savings Plan | Harley Ellis Devereaux Corporation | MI | DC | 660 | $103M | $156,760 | $2,566 | $25.01 |
By plan size
By state
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans are there in architectural services?
342 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024, out of 615 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 architectural services?
The median defined contribution plan reported $117,494 in net assets per participant (middle half of plans: $81,246 to $158,999); 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 architectural services?
The median defined contribution plan received $3,191 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 architectural services?
Among defined contribution plans that report any Schedule C compensation, the median was $252 per participant and 0.23% 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.