State · sponsors with a North Carolina filing address
Retirement plans in North Carolina
Form 5500 filings for plan years 2009 to 2025; medians for plan year 2024.
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. A plan is counted in the state of its sponsor's address, not where its participants live.
For plan year 2024, 1,771 retirement plans based in North Carolina with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500: 1,660 defined contribution and 111 defined benefit. They reported 3,968,689 participant records and $352.7B in net assets, counting every plan on the form.
The median defined contribution plan held $46,163 per participant, below the national median of $53,031, and its employer put in $1,936 per active participant (national: $2,174). Among plans reporting Schedule C compensation the median was $113 per participant against $123 nationally.
Employers contributed $7.81B and participants $11.4B during the year, and the plans paid out $31.6B in benefits.
In 2009 the same group numbered 1,944 plans with $88.9B; by 2024 it was 1,771 plans (down 9%) and $352.7B (up 297%). From plan year 2023 the 100-participant line counts participants with account balances, which moved many plans to the short form.
Beyond the full-form filers, 18,043 small plans based in North Carolina filed the short Form 5500-SF for 2024, with 465,258 participants and $25.5B in net assets. Small plans are counted here and nowhere else on this site.
Medians compared with all US plans
| Median plan, plan year 2024 | NC: DC | US: DC | NC: DB | US: DB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $46,163 | $53,031 | $68,482 | $86,234 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $1,936 | $2,174 | $5,624 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $113 | $123 | $234 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.28% | 0.26% | 0.39% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $112 | $116 | $345 | $527 |
Medians across plans with 100 or more participants (1,594 DC and 110 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 | $22,889 | $46,163 | $84,548 | 1,594 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $948 | $1,936 | $3,524 | 1,529 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $57.56 | $113 | $208 | 1,486 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $50.08 | $112 | $205 | 1,532 |
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 | 250 | 517,602 | $98.2B | $1.90B | $2.76B | $67,422 | $143 |
| 2024 | 1,771 | 3,968,689 | $352.7B | $7.81B | $11.4B | $46,163 | $113 |
| 2023 | 1,801 | 3,993,231 | $327.7B | $9.45B | $11.0B | $41,528 | $102 |
| 2022 | 2,012 | 4,007,484 | $285.9B | $8.35B | $10.0B | $30,447 | $95.02 |
| 2021 | 1,992 | 3,926,839 | $350.1B | $7.65B | $9.43B | $36,299 | $99.21 |
| 2020 | 1,977 | 3,693,717 | $280.2B | $6.42B | $8.28B | $35,171 | $91.71 |
| 2019 | 1,946 | 3,616,829 | $242.2B | $7.67B | $7.59B | $30,525 | $83.62 |
| 2018 | 1,904 | 3,490,580 | $194.1B | $5.65B | $6.82B | $26,099 | $80.13 |
| 2017 | 1,904 | 3,375,700 | $209.7B | $6.77B | $6.27B | $28,083 | $74.77 |
| 2016 | 1,888 | 3,456,154 | $194.8B | $5.43B | $5.55B | $25,710 | $61.45 |
| 2015 | 1,888 | 3,637,720 | $191.3B | $5.39B | $5.55B | $25,160 | $57.37 |
| 2014 | 1,916 | 3,528,774 | $193.0B | $5.00B | $5.11B | $25,780 | $51.83 |
| 2013 | 1,908 | 3,652,503 | $180.6B | $4.99B | $4.76B | $25,449 | $44.11 |
| 2012 | 1,885 | 3,579,440 | $153.6B | $5.54B | $4.55B | $22,884 | $41.54 |
| 2011 | 1,900 | 2,924,089 | $108.3B | $4.40B | $3.21B | $20,808 | $39.91 |
| 2010 | 1,887 | 2,852,604 | $105.9B | $5.03B | $3.04B | $21,025 | $39.81 |
| 2009 | 1,944 | 2,835,213 | $88.9B | $4.59B | $3.46B | $18,463 | $35.60 |
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 1,783 plans on this page's list, by number of plans. A plan usually names several providers.
Largest plans
The 60 largest by participants of 1,783 plans with a page on this site.
| Plan | Sponsor | Type | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compass Group Retirement Plan | Compass Group USA, Inc. | DC | 312,914 | $2.48B | $7,913 | $207 | $13.95 |
| Lowes 401(k) Plan | Lowe's Companies, Inc. | DC | 295,951 | $8.58B | $29,008 | $741 | $4.23 |
| The Bank of America 401(k) Plan | Bank of America Corporation | DC | 246,394 | $71.5B | $290,173 | $7,748 | — |
| Charter Communications, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan | Charter Communications, Inc. | DC | 120,688 | $8.95B | $74,141 | $3,572 | — |
| Charter Communications, Inc. Retirement Accumulation Plan | Charter Communications, Inc. | DC | 105,040 | $1.47B | $14,042 | $1,685 | — |
| Honeywell Retirement Earnings Plan | Honeywell International Inc. | DB | 93,364 | $16.6B | $177,562 | — | — |
| Truist Financial Corporation Pension Plan | Truist Financial Corporation | DB | 92,130 | $14.7B | $159,352 | — | $161 |
| Food Lion 401(k) Plan | Food Lion, LLC | DC | 86,247 | $1.27B | $14,697 | $501 | $16.44 |
| The Duke University Faculty and Staff Retirement Plan | Duke University | DC | 71,641 | $11.0B | $154,167 | $6,025 | $40.12 |
| Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings 401(k) Savings Plan | Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings | DC | 67,355 | $4.48B | $66,483 | $2,331 | $52.09 |
| Honeywell 401(k) Plan | Honeywell International Inc. | DC | 63,466 | $16.3B | $257,090 | $5,348 | — |
| Truist Financial Corporation 401(k) Savings Plan | Truist Financial Corporation | DC | 58,823 | $10.2B | $173,871 | $3,702 | $50.27 |
| Tax Deferred Savings Plan of Novant Health, Inc. | Novant Health, Inc. | DC | 55,552 | $2.54B | $45,780 | $0 | $48.38 |
| Savings and Supplemental Retirement Plan of Novant Health, Inc. | Novant Health, Inc. | DC | 48,270 | $1.68B | $34,843 | $3,751 | $6.90 |
| Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc. Retirement and Savings Plan | Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc. | DC | 45,556 | $1.41B | $30,871 | $1,180 | $29.68 |
| Employees' Retirement Plan of Duke University | Duke University | DB | 40,202 | $2.78B | $69,271 | $1,339 | $133 |
| Nucor Corporation Profit Sharing and Retirement Savings Plan | Nucor Corporation | DC | 35,312 | $9.35B | $264,761 | $7,836 | $2.25 |
| Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan | Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center | DC | 35,237 | $3.64B | $103,378 | $6,005 | $45.40 |
| Duke Energy Retirement Savings Plan | Duke Energy Corporation | DC | 35,031 | $11.3B | $321,708 | $9,486 | $148 |
| Time Warner Cable Pension Plan | Charter Communications, Inc. | DB | 34,730 | $2.29B | $65,912 | — | $216 |
| Iqvia 401(k) Plan | Iqvia Inc. | DC | 33,208 | $3.56B | $107,266 | $4,207 | $52.85 |
| Trane Technologies Employee Savings Plan (Esp) | Trane Technologies Company LLC | DC | 27,974 | $7.51B | $268,575 | $8,142 | — |
| Duke Energy Retirement Cash Balance Plan | Duke Energy Corporation | DB | 26,146 | $4.68B | $178,918 | — | $32.13 |
| Hearst Retirement Savings Plan | The Hearst Corporation | DC | 24,445 | $3.14B | $128,300 | $5,250 | $1.87 |
| Old Dominion 401(k) Retirement Plan | Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. | DC | 23,909 | $2.60B | $108,705 | $4,562 | $139 |
| Belk 401(k) Savings Plan | Belk Stores Services, LLC | DC | 21,400 | $401M | $18,722 | $525 | $20.28 |
| Abb Inc. Retirement Savings Plan | Abb Inc. | DC | 20,633 | $3.30B | $159,732 | $7,850 | $44.23 |
| Trane Technologies Pension Plan Number One B | Trane Technologies Company LLC | DB | 20,281 | $776M | $38,263 | $2,015 | — |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company 401(k) Plan | First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | DC | 20,246 | $2.69B | $132,692 | $10,000 | $27.98 |
| The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital Voluntary Savings Plan | The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital Operating Corporation | DC | 19,470 | $1.62B | $83,438 | $1,997 | $18.30 |
| Ingles Markets, Incorporated Investment/profit Sharing Plan | Ingles Markets, Incorporated | DC | 18,521 | $197M | $10,624 | $324 | $13.12 |
| VF 401(k) Savings Plan | VF Corporation | DC | 18,504 | $1.15B | $61,927 | $2,438 | $64.97 |
| Brightspeed Pension Plan | Connect Holding II LLC d/b/a Brightspeed | DB | 18,444 | $1.69B | $91,676 | — | $262 |
| Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. | DC | 17,812 | $1.06B | $59,768 | $2,090 | $83.77 |
| Syneos Health Savings and Retirement Plan | Syneos Health | DC | 17,182 | $1.57B | $91,661 | $3,082 | $48.63 |
| Martin Marietta Pension Plan | Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. | DB | 16,206 | $1.26B | $77,905 | $2,889 | $281 |
| The Hearst Corporation Retirement Plan | The Hearst Corporation | DB | 15,881 | $2.40B | $150,965 | — | $87.49 |
| Wakemed Retirement Savings Plan | Wakemed | DC | 15,820 | $1.44B | $91,160 | $3,211 | $85.08 |
| Defined Contribution Retirement Plan of Moses Cone Health System | The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital Operating Corporation | DC | 15,799 | $266M | $16,826 | $1,227 | $2.39 |
| Duke Energy Legacy Pension Plan | Duke Energy Corporation | DB | 14,346 | $2.35B | $163,809 | — | $93.49 |
| Jeld-Wen 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | Jeld-Wen Holding, Inc. | DC | 13,624 | $518M | $37,989 | $2,493 | $50.63 |
| The Trane Merged Hourly Pension Plan | Trane U.S. Inc. | DB | 13,180 | $726M | $55,057 | $8,534 | — |
| Elior, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Elior, Inc. | DC | 12,946 | $102M | $7,881 | $156 | $44.00 |
| Alex Lee, Inc. and Affiliates Retirement Savings Plan | Alex Lee, Inc. | DC | 12,714 | $323M | $25,417 | $245 | $59.19 |
| Swissport North America Holdings, Inc. 401(k) Savings and Retirement Plan | Swissport North America Holdings, Inc. | DC | 12,439 | $174M | $13,951 | $687 | $45.91 |
| Hendrick Automotive Group 401(k) Plan | Hendrick Automotive Group, LLC | DC | 12,158 | $757M | $62,233 | $1,475 | $68.57 |
| Pike 401(k) Plan | Pike Enterprises LLC | DC | 11,994 | $359M | $29,920 | $1,400 | $33.39 |
| GFL Environmental US 401(k) Plan | GFL Environmental Holdings (US), Inc. | DC | 11,631 | $312M | $26,802 | $2,325 | $64.18 |
| Martin Marietta Savings and Investment Plan | Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. | DC | 11,214 | $1.07B | $95,277 | $2,661 | $61.41 |
| Victra 401(k) Plan | ABC Phones of North Carolina, Inc. | DC | 10,974 | $61.7M | $5,618 | $413 | $18.92 |
| Variety Wholesalers, Inc. Retirement Savings 401(k) Plan | Variety Wholesalers, Inc. | DC | 10,521 | $31.2M | $2,966 | $17 | $8.60 |
| State Employees' Credit Union Retirement Savings Plan | State Employees' Credit Union | DC | 10,159 | $1.57B | $154,373 | $7,085 | $48.18 |
| Red Hat, Inc. 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan | Red Hat, Inc. | DC | 10,061 | $1.94B | $192,988 | $5,060 | $1.04 |
| Adusa Supply Chain Services 401(k) Plan | Adusa Supply Chain Services LLC | DC | 10,046 | $357M | $35,538 | $1,575 | $22.15 |
| Sonic Automotive, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Sonic Automotive, Inc. | DC | 9,986 | $548M | $54,909 | $977 | $48.42 |
| Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Retirement Savings and Pension Plan | Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc. | DC | 9,981 | $2.35B | $235,216 | $19,983 | $39.47 |
| Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation Retirement Savings Plan | Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation | DC | 9,548 | $68.1M | $7,131 | $426 | $16.39 |
| Tih Insurance Holdings, LLC 401(k) Savings Plan | CRC Insurance Group, LLC | DC | 9,495 | $1.63B | $171,224 | $3,094 | $21.42 |
| Lenovo Savings Plan | Lenovo (United States) Inc. | DC | 9,274 | $2.61B | $280,904 | $9,528 | $69.11 |
| Sealed Air Corporation 401(k) and Profit Sharing Plan | Sealed Air Corporation | DC | 8,968 | $1.59B | $176,991 | $8,169 | $79.17 |
By plan size
By industry
By plan year
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans are there in North Carolina?
1,771 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024, out of 3,428 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 North Carolina?
The median defined contribution plan reported $46,163 in net assets per participant (middle half of plans: $22,889 to $84,548); 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 North Carolina?
The median defined contribution plan received $1,936 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 North Carolina?
Among defined contribution plans that report any Schedule C compensation, the median was $113 per participant and 0.28% 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 and Form 5500-SF 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.