Massachusetts › Arts, entertainment and recreation › 250 to 499 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Sep 2024 to 31 Aug 2025
Retirement Plan for the Staff Employees of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc.
Sponsored by Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc., Boston, MA
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. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Aug 2025, Retirement Plan for the Staff Employees of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. covered 307 participants and held $39.2M in net assets. The plan is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. of Boston, Massachusetts.
Net assets came to $127,735 per participant, well above the $87,254 median for defined benefit plans with 250 to 499 participants and well above the $98,070 median for defined benefit plans in arts, entertainment and recreation. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $1.3M for the year ($28,988 per active participant) and benefits paid were $2.0M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
Schedule C lists 3 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $44K: $144 per participant, well below the same-size median of $413. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $187K. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $18.5M in 2009 to $39.2M in 2024 (up 112%), and participants from 383 to 307 (down 20%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $127,735 | $87,254 | $98,070 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $28,988 | $11,032 | $8,284 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $144 | $413 | $440 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.11% | 0.51% | 0.49% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $608 | $596 | $715 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 250 to 499 participants (873 plans), arts, entertainment and recreation (119) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 307 | $39.2M | $127,736 | $1.3M | — | $44K |
| 2023 | 313 | $36.0M | $114,898 | $800K | — | $42K |
| 2022 | 314 | $33.1M | $105,287 | $771K | — | $33K |
| 2021 | 315 | $32.7M | $103,784 | $245K | — | $31K |
| 2020 | 315 | $43.0M | $136,368 | $236K | — | $31K |
| 2019 | 319 | $38.7M | $121,373 | $217K | — | $21K |
| 2018 | 333 | $35.7M | $107,282 | $250K | — | $70K |
| 2017 | 348 | $35.9M | $103,164 | $580K | — | $81K |
| 2016 | 414 | $36.1M | $87,239 | $2.3M | — | $33K |
| 2015 | 399 | $31.2M | $78,130 | $1.7M | — | $29K |
| 2014 | 391 | $29.1M | $74,496 | $693K | — | $42K |
| 2013 | 383 | $30.1M | $78,499 | $1.1M | — | $24K |
| 2012 | 377 | $26.0M | $68,899 | $278K | — | $43K |
| 2011 | 385 | $23.7M | $61,522 | $1.5M | — | $43K |
| 2010 | 383 | $22.0M | $57,381 | $1.6M | — | $42K |
| 2009 | 383 | $18.5M | $48,366 | $2.0M | — | $42K |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$35,962,575
- Employer contributions$1,304,480
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$1,304,480
- Total income, including investment results$5,444,551
- Benefits paid$2,005,962
- Administrative expenses$186,509
- Total expenses$2,192,471
- Net income$3,252,080
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$39,214,655
Participants
- Active participants45
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits108
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits142
- Total participants, end of year307
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Angell Pension Group, Inc. | Actuarial | $23,499 | $0 |
| Caron & Bletzer, PLLC | Accounting (including auditing) | $13,500 | $0 |
| Littler Mendelson PC | Legal | $7,100 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Other administrative expenses$186,509
- Total administrative expenses$186,509
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Master trust investment accounts$39.2M · 100.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmCaron & Bletzer, PLLC
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $500,000
- Blackout period during the year—
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1IFrozen plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 711100: Performing Arts Companies.
Other plans of Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc.
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Tax Sheltered Annuity Plan for the Staff Employees of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. | 450 | $36.9M |
| Boston Symphony Orchestra Pension Institution | 192 | $80.1M |
Similar plans in Massachusetts
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pension Fund of Local 11, IATSE | IATSE Local 11, Pension Fund | 548 | $66.5M | $121,382 |
| Boston Symphony Orchestra Pension Institution | Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. | 192 | $80.1M | $417,371 |
| Major League Baseball Pension Plan for Non-Uniformed Personnel | Boston Red Sox Baseball Club Limited Partnership | 550 | $53.9M | $98,070 |
| New England Aquarium Corporation Pension Plan | New England Aquarium Corporation | 126 | $4.6M | $36,888 |
Defined benefit plans in arts, entertainment and recreation closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Retirement Plan for the Staff Employees of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc.?
307 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Aug 2025, of whom 45 were active employees, with net assets of $39,214,655. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 250 to 499 participants band, which held 873 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $1,304,480 in employer contributions for the year, which is $28,988 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $11,032 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $44,099 in compensation to service provider organisations, $144 per participant or 0.11% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $413 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $186,509. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc.. The financial statements were audited by Caron & Bletzer, PLLC. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Sep 2024 to 31 Aug 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 1 Jun 2026. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 04-2103550, plan 002, received 1 Jun 2026; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.