Average employer 401(k) contribution

Name: Average Employer 401(k) Contribution (2024 Data)
Creator: Plan Ledger

Plan year 2024 · 66,577 filings analyzed · updated 2026-09-10

Median employer contribution per active participant, plans over $1B · 2024

$5,259

Employers sponsoring the largest 401(k) plans contributed a median of $5,259 per active participant in 2024. At plans in the $1M–$10M bracket, typical of small businesses, the median was $1,313, about 4.0x less.

By plan size · median per active participant · 2024
Under $1M$540 · 679 plans
$1M–$10M$1,313 · 16,795 plans
$10M–$50M$2,416 · 26,933 plans
$50M–$250M$3,635 · 10,491 plans
$250M–$1B$4,294 · 2,902 plans
Over $1B$5,259 · 1,276 plans

By industry · median per active participant · 2024
Utilities$5,344 · 374 plans
Mining, Oil & Gas Extraction$3,977 · 439 plans
Finance & Insurance$3,589 · 3,912 plans
Professional & Technical Services$3,278 · 7,861 plans
Information & Media$3,128 · 1,362 plans
Educational Services$2,809 · 2,233 plans
Construction$2,687 · 3,741 plans
Management of Companies$2,651 · 596 plans
Manufacturing$2,192 · 10,105 plans
Wholesale Trade$2,090 · 3,111 plans
Other Services$1,881 · 2,193 plans
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing$1,696 · 574 plans
Real Estate & Leasing$1,617 · 1,368 plans
Health Care & Social Assistance$1,561 · 7,900 plans
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation$1,501 · 893 plans
Transportation & Warehousing$1,447 · 1,676 plans
Administrative & Support Services$1,303 · 1,426 plans
Retail Trade$1,043 · 3,211 plans
Accommodation & Food Services$540 · 1,074 plans

Cite this figure

Median employer 401(k) contributions ranged from $540 per active participant in accommodation & food services to $5,344 in utilities in 2024. Source: Plan Ledger analysis of U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 filings, plan year 2024. Figures may be republished with attribution and a link. Method: methodology.

Source: Plan Ledger analysis of DOL Form 5500 Schedule H filings, plan year 2024 (snapshot 2026-09-10). Administrative expenses are those separately reported on Schedule H line 2i(5); fund-level expense ratios are not included in public structured data. Methodology.