State by plan year
Arizona retirement plan filings, 2016
Plan years beginning in 2016, as filed with the Department of Labor.
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.
For plan years beginning in 2016, 2,725 pension plans based in Arizona filed the full Form 5500, 1,032 of them with 100 or more participants (956 defined contribution, 76 defined benefit).
Those filings reported 1,168,541 participant records and $42.0B in net assets, 0.6% of the national total. Employers contributed $1.37B, participants $1.79B, and $3.54B was paid in benefits.
158 filings were marked as a plan's first return and 128 as its final return. A further 8,561 small plans filed the short Form 5500-SF, with 168,167 participants and $7.10B in net assets.
Against 2015: large plans up 1%, participant records up 2%, net assets up 5%.
Arizona and the United States, 2016
| Measure | Arizona | United States | Arizona share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pension plans on Form 5500 | 2,725 | 155,549 | 1.8% |
| Plans with 100+ participants | 1,032 | 77,057 | 1.3% |
| Participant records | 1,168,541 | 124,145,377 | 0.9% |
| Net assets | $42.0B | $7.62T | 0.6% |
| Employer contributions | $1.37B | $251.8B | 0.5% |
| Participant contributions | $1.79B | $212.4B | 0.8% |
| Benefits paid | $3.54B | $604.6B | 0.6% |
| First returns | 158 | 6,513 | 2.4% |
| Final returns | 128 | 6,474 | 2.0% |
| Small plans on Form 5500-SF | 8,561 | 558,329 | 1.5% |
Median plan, 2016
| Plans with 100+ participants | AZ: DC | US: DC | AZ: DB | US: DB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $18,388 | $29,926 | $41,757 | $57,270 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $790 | $1,180 | $6,971 | $8,380 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $46.66 | $54.21 | $245 | $241 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $39.28 | $36.67 | $415 | $426 |
Change from 2015
| Measure | 2015 | 2016 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans with 100+ participants | 1,026 | 1,032 | up 1% |
| Participant records | 1,144,262 | 1,168,541 | up 2% |
| Net assets | $40.2B | $42.0B | up 5% |
| Employer contributions | $1.38B | $1.37B | down 1% |
| Median DC assets per participant | $17,039 | $18,388 | up 8% |
All Arizona plans, providers and the largest plans
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans filed in Arizona for 2016?
2,725 pension plans on the full Form 5500 (1,032 with 100 or more participants) and 8,561 small plans on Form 5500-SF.
How many new and terminated plans were there?
158 full-form filings were marked as a first return and 128 as a final return. A final return is filed when a plan terminates or merges into another plan.
What was the median plan like?
The median defined contribution plan with 100 or more participants held $18,388 per participant, and the median employer contribution was $790 per active participant.
Why is the state the sponsor's state?
Form 5500 records the plan sponsor's address, not where participants live. A national employer's plan is counted once, in the state of its headquarters filing address.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 and Form 5500-SF research files for 2016, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. First and final returns are the filer's own check-boxes on the form. See the methodology.