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Industry · Form 5500 business code 541330
Engineering 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.
1,404 retirement plans in engineering services with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024 (1,392 defined contribution, 12 defined benefit). All Form 5500 pension filers in the group reported 1,158,646 participant records and $150.5B in net assets.
The median defined contribution plan held $99,952 per participant, well above the national median of $53,031, and its employer put in $3,353 per active participant (national: $2,174). Among plans reporting Schedule C compensation the median was $176 per participant against $123 nationally.
Employers contributed $3.47B and participants $6.10B during the year, and the plans paid out $13.6B in benefits.
In 2009 the same group numbered 1,240 plans with $40.6B; by 2024 it was 1,404 plans (up 13%) and $150.5B (up 271%). 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 | $99,952 | $53,031 | $66,772 | $86,234 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $3,353 | $2,174 | $16,721 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $176 | $123 | $584 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.19% | 0.26% | 0.71% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $167 | $116 | $962 | $527 |
Medians across plans with 100 or more participants (1,298 DC and 12 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 | $60,919 | $99,952 | $146,771 | 1,298 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $2,219 | $3,353 | $5,277 | 1,256 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $83.55 | $176 | $308 | 1,153 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $66.38 | $167 | $288 | 1,198 |
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 | 233 | 174,412 | $28.1B | $520M | $997M | $118,246 | $194 |
| 2024 | 1,404 | 1,158,646 | $150.5B | $3.47B | $6.10B | $99,952 | $176 |
| 2023 | 1,405 | 1,110,398 | $129.9B | $3.07B | $5.50B | $90,210 | $163 |
| 2022 | 1,474 | 1,063,064 | $108.9B | $2.71B | $4.93B | $75,853 | $154 |
| 2021 | 1,457 | 1,011,932 | $122.7B | $2.33B | $4.46B | $90,061 | $171 |
| 2020 | 1,477 | 985,273 | $108.7B | $2.17B | $4.15B | $82,750 | $146 |
| 2019 | 1,430 | 981,673 | $95.3B | $2.18B | $3.89B | $71,363 | $127 |
| 2018 | 1,386 | 932,005 | $78.3B | $1.85B | $3.52B | $62,017 | $123 |
| 2017 | 1,354 | 1,173,064 | $83.9B | $1.76B | $3.47B | $68,156 | $103 |
| 2016 | 1,340 | 1,125,040 | $72.1B | $1.60B | $3.26B | $61,334 | $83.75 |
| 2015 | 1,275 | 1,087,479 | $65.3B | $1.56B | $3.14B | $57,980 | $76.55 |
| 2014 | 1,250 | 1,074,598 | $66.3B | $1.50B | $2.99B | $58,107 | $66.78 |
| 2013 | 1,240 | 1,045,096 | $63.4B | $1.47B | $2.82B | $57,524 | $49.46 |
| 2012 | 1,211 | 1,020,842 | $53.4B | $1.38B | $2.64B | $51,021 | $46.86 |
| 2011 | 1,185 | 1,019,885 | $47.3B | $1.34B | $2.50B | $45,274 | $43.74 |
| 2010 | 1,179 | 1,011,522 | $46.5B | $1.56B | $2.33B | $46,300 | $40.84 |
| 2009 | 1,240 | 1,059,934 | $40.6B | $1.33B | $2.33B | $39,897 | $37.70 |
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 1,405 plans on this page's list, by number of plans. A plan usually names several providers.
Largest plans
The 40 largest by participants of 1,405 plans with a page on this site.
| Plan | Sponsor | State | Type | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amentum 401(k) Retirement Plan | Amentum Services, Inc. | VA | DC | 44,630 | $2.49B | $55,824 | $3,012 | $60.10 |
| Aecom Retirement & Savings Plan | Aecom | TX | DC | 32,344 | $6.78B | $209,521 | $2,839 | $104 |
| Jacobs 401(k) Plus Savings Plan | Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. | TX | DC | 29,462 | $6.38B | $216,519 | $5,079 | $56.29 |
| WSP USA Retirement Savings Plan | WSP USA Buildings Inc. | NY | DC | 23,617 | $3.32B | $140,455 | $2,836 | $49.65 |
| Parsons Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Parsons Corporation | CA | DC | 19,787 | $4.99B | $252,315 | $207 | — |
| Jacobs Technology Inc. Employees' Savings Plan | Jacobs Technology, Inc. | TN | DC | 18,678 | $2.17B | $116,004 | $4,658 | $44.49 |
| HDR, Inc. Best Plan and ESOP | HDR, Inc. | NE | DC | 17,345 | $8.83B | $509,281 | $2,243 | $93.78 |
| Stantec 401(k) Plan | Stantec Consulting Services Inc. | AZ | DC | 16,713 | $2.32B | $138,758 | $3,720 | $46.48 |
| Parsons Corporation Retirement Savings Plan | Parsons Corporation | VA | DC | 16,220 | $2.27B | $140,241 | $3,589 | $36.87 |
| Tetra Tech, Inc. and Subsidiaries Retirement Plan | Tetra Tech, Inc. | CT | DC | 14,215 | $2.16B | $151,980 | $3,133 | $106 |
| Burns & McDonnell, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan | Burns & McDonnell Inc. | MO | DC | 12,209 | $2.06B | $168,712 | $4,295 | $50.42 |
| Burns & McDonnell, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Burns & McDonnell, Inc. | MO | DC | 11,995 | $5.46B | $455,447 | $21,387 | $65.44 |
| Arcadis U.S., Inc. Retirement Savings Plan | Arcadis U.S., Inc. | CO | DC | 11,799 | $2.26B | $191,539 | $4,384 | $57.25 |
| The Terracon 401(k) and ESOP Plan | TSVC, Inc. | KS | DC | 11,006 | $1.23B | $111,569 | $3,268 | $43.32 |
| Black & Veatch Retirement Program | BVH, Inc. | KS | DC | 10,517 | $3.04B | $289,098 | $16,791 | $180 |
| Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Retirement Savings and Pension Plan | Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc. | NC | DC | 9,981 | $2.35B | $235,216 | $19,983 | $39.47 |
| TRC 401(k) Retirement and Savings Plan | TRC Companies, LLC. | CT | DC | 9,299 | $776M | $83,460 | $2,552 | $6.67 |
| HNTB Ownership Plan | HNTB Holdings Ltd. | MO | DC | 8,663 | $2.18B | $251,349 | $2,367 | $94.17 |
| BWXT Thrift Plan | BWXT Investment Company | VA | DC | 8,648 | $1.54B | $177,632 | $5,782 | $67.61 |
| HNTB Retirement and Savings Plan | HNTB Holdings Ltd. | MO | DC | 8,421 | $623M | $73,985 | — | $130 |
| Worley Group Inc. 401(k) Plan | Worley Group Inc. | TX | DC | 8,286 | $1.40B | $169,392 | $4,320 | $75.42 |
| Lucid Motors 401(k) Plan | Lucid USA, Inc. | CA | DC | 7,761 | $219M | $28,256 | $2,021 | $30.41 |
| Atkinsrealis US Retirement Savings Program | Atkins US Holdings, Inc. | DE | DC | 6,965 | $895M | $128,436 | $4,245 | $63.02 |
| CDM Smith Inc. Capital Accumulation Plan | CDM Smith Inc. | MA | DC | 6,798 | $1.70B | $250,497 | $2,823 | $135 |
| Hka Enterprises 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | Hka Enterprises, LLC | SC | DC | 6,506 | $17.4M | $2,677 | $11 | $11.83 |
| Gannett Fleming, Inc. Tax Deferred 401(k) Savings Plan | Gannett Fleming, Inc. | PA | DC | 6,127 | $830M | $135,534 | $2,607 | $83.42 |
| Belcan Retirement Savings Plan | Belcan, LLC | OH | DC | 6,022 | $300M | $49,756 | $1,200 | $67.55 |
| Michael Baker International 401(k) Plan | Michael Baker International Holdco Corporation | PA | DC | 5,699 | $933M | $163,790 | $4,490 | $120 |
| Bureau Veritas Industries & Facilities 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Bureau Veritas Holdings, Inc. | TX | DC | 5,384 | $341M | $63,421 | $1,752 | $107 |
| NV5, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | NV5, Inc. | CA | DC | 5,084 | $464M | $91,326 | $8 | $96.27 |
| Sargent & Lundy Savings Investment Plan | Sargent & Lundy | IL | DC | 5,050 | $1.25B | $246,923 | $6,128 | $55.85 |
| STV Retirement Plan | STV Group, Inc. | PA | DC | 4,899 | $1.02B | $208,098 | $4,559 | $16.07 |
| The Kleinfelder Group, Inc. 401(k) Plan | The Kleinfelder Group, Inc. | CA | DC | 4,774 | $539M | $112,912 | $2,518 | $55.82 |
| Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. Employee Savings and Investment Plan | Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. | CA | DC | 4,687 | $534M | $113,997 | $3,566 | $53.54 |
| Power Profit Sharing 401(k) Plan | Power Engineers, Inc. | ID | DC | 4,542 | $592M | $130,243 | $4,597 | $75.35 |
| Weston Solutions, Inc. Retirement Savings and Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Wes Holdings, Inc. | PA | DC | 3,973 | $546M | $137,436 | $4,282 | $1.31 |
| Weston Solutions, Inc. Retirement Savings and Employee Stock Ownership Plan | Weston Solutions, Inc. | PA | DC | 3,973 | $546M | $137,436 | $4,282 | $1.31 |
| Framatome Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan | Framatome Inc. | VA | DC | 3,946 | $1.41B | $357,504 | $5,473 | $182 |
| Dewberry 401(K)/PROFIT-SHARING Plan | Dewberry Engineers Inc. | VA | DC | 3,940 | $511M | $129,783 | $1,456 | $62.09 |
| Erm - US Salary Deferral Plan | Erm NA Holdings Corp. | PA | DC | 3,821 | $535M | $139,929 | $4,140 | — |
By plan size
By state
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans are there in engineering services?
1,404 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024, out of 2,243 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 engineering services?
The median defined contribution plan reported $99,952 in net assets per participant (middle half of plans: $60,919 to $146,771); 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 engineering services?
The median defined contribution plan received $3,353 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 engineering services?
Among defined contribution plans that report any Schedule C compensation, the median was $176 per participant and 0.19% 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.