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Industry · Form 5500 business code 541700
Scientific Research & Development 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.
For plan year 2024, 625 retirement plans in scientific research & development services with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500: 614 defined contribution and 11 defined benefit. They reported 625,022 participant records and $97.6B in net assets, counting every plan on the form.
The median defined contribution plan held $85,145 per participant, well above the national median of $53,031, and its employer put in $5,403 per active participant (national: $2,174). Among plans reporting Schedule C compensation the median was $110 per participant against $123 nationally.
Employers contributed $2.53B and participants $3.67B during the year, and the plans paid out $7.73B in benefits.
In 2009 the same group numbered 361 plans with $27.2B; by 2024 it was 625 plans (up 73%) and $97.6B (up 258%). 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 | $85,145 | $53,031 | $188,673 | $86,234 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $5,403 | $2,174 | $12,085 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $110 | $123 | $548 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.12% | 0.26% | 0.31% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $108 | $116 | $1,238 | $527 |
Medians across plans with 100 or more participants (585 DC and 11 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 | $58,617 | $85,145 | $130,628 | 585 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $3,096 | $5,403 | $8,377 | 550 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $35.67 | $110 | $210 | 536 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $31.57 | $108 | $203 | 557 |
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 | 113 | 77,636 | $11.5B | $309M | $533M | $108,810 | $126 |
| 2024 | 625 | 625,022 | $97.6B | $2.53B | $3.67B | $85,145 | $110 |
| 2023 | 620 | 606,918 | $86.5B | $2.37B | $3.31B | $73,768 | $85.07 |
| 2022 | 612 | 561,225 | $73.4B | $2.05B | $2.93B | $61,779 | $82.64 |
| 2021 | 542 | 551,748 | $88.0B | $1.94B | $2.63B | $79,539 | $87.03 |
| 2020 | 520 | 528,078 | $80.4B | $1.97B | $2.46B | $76,103 | $89.82 |
| 2019 | 476 | 531,386 | $70.6B | $1.75B | $2.26B | $72,120 | $83.82 |
| 2018 | 450 | 516,709 | $59.0B | $1.51B | $2.02B | $62,249 | $71.28 |
| 2017 | 420 | 469,153 | $58.4B | $1.32B | $1.76B | $69,930 | $53.71 |
| 2016 | 403 | 443,312 | $49.8B | $1.30B | $1.58B | $62,167 | $45.63 |
| 2015 | 385 | 430,380 | $45.8B | $1.31B | $1.48B | $59,699 | $40.73 |
| 2014 | 373 | 415,617 | $45.7B | $1.15B | $1.37B | $60,090 | $36.60 |
| 2013 | 363 | 411,961 | $42.9B | $1.27B | $1.29B | $58,176 | $36.00 |
| 2012 | 359 | 388,518 | $35.8B | $1.26B | $1.13B | $49,160 | $24.07 |
| 2011 | 351 | 370,101 | $31.7B | $1.18B | $1.04B | $45,915 | $24.00 |
| 2010 | 344 | 364,700 | $30.1B | $861M | $961M | $47,025 | $25.66 |
| 2009 | 361 | 374,616 | $27.2B | $863M | $981M | $40,982 | $18.61 |
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 630 plans on this page's list, by number of plans. A plan usually names several providers.
Largest plans
The 40 largest by participants of 630 plans with a page on this site.
| Plan | Sponsor | State | Type | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schlumberger Technology Corporation Savings and Retirement Plan | Schlumberger Technology Corporation | TX | DC | 38,251 | $7.44B | $194,589 | $9,543 | — |
| Ntess Savings and Income Plan | National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC | NM | DC | 19,883 | $7.25B | $364,494 | $11,908 | $133 |
| The Research Foundation for the State University of New York Retirement Plan | The Research Foundation for the State University of New York | NY | DC | 17,307 | $1.27B | $73,340 | $3,127 | $42.29 |
| Syneos Health Savings and Retirement Plan | Syneos Health | NC | DC | 17,182 | $1.57B | $91,661 | $3,082 | $48.63 |
| Icon Clinical Research, LLC 401(k) Plan | Icon Clinical Research, LLC | PA | DC | 16,374 | $1.61B | $98,501 | $4,050 | — |
| Ntess Retirement Income Plan | National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC | NM | DB | 12,979 | $5.56B | $428,180 | $34,115 | $523 |
| Pension Plan for Employees at Ornl | Ut-Battelle, LLC | TN | DB | 12,721 | $2.40B | $188,673 | $12,085 | $519 |
| The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Pension Plan B | The Johns Hopkins University Applie D Physics Laboratory LLC Jhu/apl | MD | DC | 12,649 | $2.99B | $236,316 | — | $72.45 |
| The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Pension Plan a | The Johns Hopkins University Applie D Physics Laboratory LLC Jhu/apl | MD | DC | 11,679 | $2.97B | $254,276 | $14,673 | $84.27 |
| NNPP Contractor Savings Plan | Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC | PA | DC | 10,824 | $2.49B | $229,614 | $4,347 | $83.54 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Retirement Savings Plan | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center | WA | DC | 10,676 | $1.70B | $159,124 | $7,243 | $38.96 |
| The Research Foundation for the State University of New York Optional Retirement Plan | The Research Foundation of State University of New York | NY | DC | 9,488 | $1.03B | $108,032 | — | $35.62 |
| Savings Plan for Employees at Ornl | Ut-Battelle, LLC | TN | DC | 9,356 | $1.75B | $187,378 | $3,247 | $50.89 |
| Parexel International Corporation 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | Parexel International Corporation | MA | DC | 7,594 | $1.04B | $137,486 | $4,777 | $3.08 |
| Illumina, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Illumina, Inc. | CA | DC | 7,548 | $1.10B | $146,122 | $3,943 | $51.89 |
| Henry M. Jackson Foundation Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Adv of Military Medicine, Inc. | MD | DC | 7,411 | $616M | $83,163 | $4,866 | $65.29 |
| NNPP Contractor Capital Accumulation Plan | Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC | PA | DC | 6,829 | $202M | $29,617 | $3,367 | $3.79 |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated 401(k) Plan | Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | MA | DC | 6,742 | $1.31B | $194,581 | $7,943 | $7.02 |
| Southwest Research Institute Retirement Plan | Southwest Research Institute | TX | DC | 6,060 | $1.70B | $280,246 | $8,775 | $3.64 |
| Argonne National Laboratory 403(b) Employee Retirement Plan | Uchicago Argonne, LLC Argonne National Laboratory | IL | DC | 5,936 | $1.80B | $303,542 | — | $26.41 |
| Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC Retirement Plan | Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC | NY | DC | 5,751 | $1.54B | $267,686 | $11,848 | $12.41 |
| Retirement Plan of Research Triangle Institute | Research Triangle Institute | NC | DC | 5,440 | $1.15B | $211,427 | $8,964 | $107 |
| Argonne National Laboratory 401(a) Retirement Plan | Uchicago Argonne, LLC Argonne National Laboratory | IL | DC | 5,076 | $1.14B | $223,602 | $12,842 | $0.26 |
| Sri International Basic Retirement Plan | Sri International | CA | DC | 4,771 | $887M | $185,933 | $7,680 | $73.96 |
| Otsuka America 401(k) Savings Plan | Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc. | NJ | DC | 4,501 | $1.12B | $248,160 | $13,714 | $42.19 |
| Pension Plan for Eligible Bettis Employees and Retirees | Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC | PA | DB | 4,261 | $1.18B | $277,169 | $18,427 | $494 |
| The Broad Institute, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan | The Broad Institute | MA | DC | 4,155 | $476M | $114,544 | $8,581 | $70.14 |
| Retirement Plan for Employees of Fermi Research Alliance, LLC | Fermi Research Alliance, LLC | IL | DC | 4,090 | $796M | $194,610 | $12,451 | $17.56 |
| The Scripps Research Institute Tax Sheltered Annuity Plan | The Scripps Research Institute | CA | DC | 4,041 | $273M | $67,437 | $209 | — |
| The Elanco US, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Elanco US, Inc. | IN | DC | 3,774 | $677M | $179,292 | $7,741 | $111 |
| Opko Health, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Opko Health, Inc. | FL | DC | 3,727 | $225M | $60,399 | $2,978 | $119 |
| Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Tax Sheltered Annuity Plan | Fermi Research Alliance, LLC | IL | DC | 3,669 | $745M | $203,164 | — | $16.43 |
| Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC 401(k) Plan | Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC | NY | DC | 3,629 | $949M | $261,495 | — | $25.96 |
| American Institutes for Research Retirement Plan | Amer. Inst. for Research in the Behavioral Sciences | VA | DC | 3,586 | $260M | $72,510 | $16 | — |
| LLNS Defined Benefit Pension Plan | Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC | CA | DB | 3,570 | $3.86B | $1,082,275 | $93,168 | — |
| Mercury Employees Retirement Investment Trust | Mercury Systems, Inc. | MA | DC | 3,340 | $476M | $142,394 | $7,033 | $80.33 |
| Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. Tda and (Frozen) DC Plan | Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. | NY | DC | 3,327 | $213M | $64,155 | — | $4.54 |
| Salaried Employee Pension Plan for Kapl Employees and Retirees | Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC | PA | DB | 3,269 | $1.06B | $324,139 | $27,308 | $573 |
| Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. Capital Accumulation Plan | Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. | MD | DC | 3,084 | $366M | $118,727 | $3,984 | $35.28 |
| American Institutes for Research Tax Deferred Annuity Plan | Amer. Inst. for Research in the Behavioral Sciences | VA | DC | 3,019 | $323M | $106,974 | $7,017 | $2.68 |
By plan size
By state
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans are there in scientific research & development services?
625 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024, out of 851 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 scientific research & development services?
The median defined contribution plan reported $85,145 in net assets per participant (middle half of plans: $58,617 to $130,628); 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 scientific research & development services?
The median defined contribution plan received $5,403 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 scientific research & development services?
Among defined contribution plans that report any Schedule C compensation, the median was $110 per participant and 0.12% 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.