top of page

Ranking of CY 2021 401k Industry Groups
by their Total Administrative Expense Ratio

Ranks the 272 industry groups (first four digits from the six-digit NAICS business code, Line 2d in Form 5500) of 401k plans by their total administrative expense ratios, i.e., total administrative expenses (Line 2i(5) of Schedule H) divided by total assets (Line 1f of Form 5500), then multiplying by 100. Each plan's contribution is weighted by its total assets. Covers 55,116 401k plans that filed a Schedule H, whose start date is in Q1 2021, and each with at least $1M in total assets.  Uses latest data (12/1/22) from DOL EBSA.

​

   Industry Group | Number of 401k Plans | Average Total Administrative Expense Ratio

1. Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps | #plans=10 | avg=0.64
2. Used Merchandise Stores | #plans=17 | avg=0.52
3. Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) | #plans=15 | avg=0.51
4. Oilseed and Grain Farming | #plans=64 | avg=0.46
5. Couriers and Express Delivery Services | #plans=21 | avg=0.43
6. RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps | #plans=8 | avg=0.41
7. Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation | #plans=17 | avg=0.38
8. Vocational Rehabilitation Services | #plans=108 | avg=0.38
9. Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | #plans=1,009 | avg=0.36
10. Individual and Family Services | #plans=457 | avg=0.36
11. Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing | #plans=3 | avg=0.35
12. Investigation and Security Services | #plans=110 | avg=0.35
13. Support Activities for Forestry | #plans=14 | avg=0.35
14. Logging | #plans=7 | avg=0.34
15. Child Day Care Services | #plans=64 | avg=0.34
16. Employment Services | #plans=524 | avg=0.34
17. Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores | #plans=20 | avg=0.33
18. Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | #plans=56 | avg=0.33
19. Charter Bus Industry | #plans=24 | avg=0.32
20. Vending Machine Operators | #plans=18 | avg=0.31
21. Home Health Care Services | #plans=405 | avg=0.31
22. Aquaculture | #plans=5 | avg=0.3
23. Florists | #plans=8 | avg=0.3
24. School and Employee Bus Transportation | #plans=43 | avg=0.3
25. Other Support Services | #plans=89 | avg=0.3
26. Automotive Repair and Maintenance | #plans=132 | avg=0.29
27. Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | #plans=206 | avg=0.29
28. Warehousing and Storage | #plans=187 | avg=0.29
29. Other Crop Farming | #plans=68 | avg=0.28
30. Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | #plans=195 | avg=0.28
31. Fishing | #plans=14 | avg=0.28
32. Taxi and Limousine Service | #plans=20 | avg=0.27
33. Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation | #plans=53 | avg=0.27
34. Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | #plans=102 | avg=0.27
35. Automobile Dealers | #plans=1,564 | avg=0.27
36. Footwear Manufacturing | #plans=21 | avg=0.26
37. Community Food and Housing and Emergency and Other Relief Services | #plans=115 | avg=0.26
38. Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=74 | avg=0.26
39. Land Subdivision | #plans=42 | avg=0.26
40. Other Personal Services | #plans=440 | avg=0.26
41. Other Motor Vehicle Dealers | #plans=144 | avg=0.26
42. Cattle Ranching and Farming | #plans=38 | avg=0.25
43. Performing Arts Companies | #plans=45 | avg=0.25
44. Special Food Services | #plans=178 | avg=0.25
45. Specialized Design Services | #plans=78 | avg=0.24
46. Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance | #plans=48 | avg=0.24
47. Facilities Support Services | #plans=85 | avg=0.24
48. Offices of Dentists | #plans=142 | avg=0.24
49. Office Administrative Services | #plans=178 | avg=0.24
50. Offices of Other Health Practitioners | #plans=521 | avg=0.24
51. Vegetable and Melon Farming | #plans=52 | avg=0.24
52. Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | #plans=10 | avg=0.23
53. Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance | #plans=31 | avg=0.23
54. Other Animal Production | #plans=27 | avg=0.23
55. Apparel Knitting Mills | #plans=10 | avg=0.23
56. Support Activities for Air Transportation | #plans=74 | avg=0.23
57. Personal Care Services | #plans=77 | avg=0.23
58. Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | #plans=330 | avg=0.23
59. Building Finishing Contractors | #plans=133 | avg=0.23
60. Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | #plans=138 | avg=0.23
61. Animal Slaughtering and Processing | #plans=95 | avg=0.22
62. Gasoline Stations | #plans=102 | avg=0.22
63. Animal Food Manufacturing | #plans=80 | avg=0.22
64. Freight Transportation Arrangement | #plans=128 | avg=0.22
65. Restaurants and Other Eating Places | #plans=719 | avg=0.22
66. Other Wood Product Manufacturing | #plans=208 | avg=0.22
67. Hunting and Trapping | #plans=2 | avg=0.21
68. Urban Transit Systems | #plans=15 | avg=0.21
69. Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | #plans=66 | avg=0.21
70. Support Activities for Rail Transportation | #plans=15 | avg=0.21
71. Services To Buildings and Dwellings | #plans=245 | avg=0.21
72. Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (Except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | #plans=140 | avg=0.21
73. Consumer Goods Rental | #plans=21 | avg=0.2
74. Timber Tract Operations | #plans=11 | avg=0.2
75. Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers | #plans=12 | avg=0.2
76. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=162 | avg=0.2
77. Support Activities for Water Transportation | #plans=49 | avg=0.2
78. Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production | #plans=100 | avg=0.2
79. Building Equipment Contractors | #plans=860 | avg=0.2
80. Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | #plans=62 | avg=0.19
81. Local Messengers and Local Delivery | #plans=6 | avg=0.19
82. Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds | #plans=61 | avg=0.19
83. Shoe Stores | #plans=32 | avg=0.19
84. Home Furnishings Stores | #plans=72 | avg=0.19
85. Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support | #plans=65 | avg=0.19
86. Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Stores | #plans=47 | avg=0.19
87. Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | #plans=141 | avg=0.19
88. Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing | #plans=94 | avg=0.19
89. Fruit and Tree Nut Farming | #plans=58 | avg=0.19
90. General Freight Trucking | #plans=634 | avg=0.19
91. Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | #plans=37 | avg=0.18
92. Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing | #plans=36 | avg=0.18
93. Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers | #plans=54 | avg=0.18
94. Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing | #plans=155 | avg=0.18
95. Gambling Industries | #plans=153 | avg=0.18
96. Drycleaning and Laundry Services | #plans=75 | avg=0.18
97. Furniture Stores | #plans=129 | avg=0.18
98. Lessors of Real Estate | #plans=331 | avg=0.18
99. Activities Related To Real Estate | #plans=1,010 | avg=0.18
100. Support Activities for Animal Production | #plans=21 | avg=0.17
101. General Rental Centers | #plans=10 | avg=0.17
102. Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | #plans=18 | avg=0.17
103. Textile Mills | #plans=46 | avg=0.17
104. Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=187 | avg=0.17
105. Other Specialty Trade Contractors | #plans=756 | avg=0.17
106. Electronics and Appliance Stores | #plans=66 | avg=0.17
107. Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | #plans=315 | avg=0.17
108. Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions | #plans=66 | avg=0.17
109. Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores | #plans=74 | avg=0.17
110. Hog and Pig Farming | #plans=14 | avg=0.16
111. Poultry and Egg Production | #plans=41 | avg=0.16
112. Steel Product Manufacturing From Purchased Steel | #plans=175 | avg=0.16
113. Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | #plans=209 | avg=0.16
114. Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers | #plans=124 | avg=0.16
115. Support Activities for Crop Production | #plans=128 | avg=0.16
116. Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers | #plans=212 | avg=0.16
117. Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=379 | avg=0.16
118. Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire Stores | #plans=153 | avg=0.16
119. Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=246 | avg=0.16
120. Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products | #plans=4 | avg=0.15
121. Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures | #plans=20 | avg=0.15
122. Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | #plans=96 | avg=0.15
123. Sawmills and Wood Preservation | #plans=67 | avg=0.15
124. Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | #plans=439 | avg=0.15
125. Business Support Services | #plans=263 | avg=0.15
126. Printing and Related Support Activities | #plans=400 | avg=0.15
127. Nonresidential Building Construction | #plans=602 | avg=0.15
128. Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation | #plans=14 | avg=0.14
129. Waste Management and Remediation Services | #plans=163 | avg=0.14
130. Foundries | #plans=65 | avg=0.14
131. Clay Product and Refractory Manufacturing | #plans=29 | avg=0.14
132. Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=286 | avg=0.14
133. Nonferrous Metal (Except Aluminum) Production and Processing | #plans=90 | avg=0.14
134. Utility System Construction | #plans=90 | avg=0.14
135. Death Care Services | #plans=29 | avg=0.14
136. Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | #plans=92 | avg=0.14
137. Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=59 | avg=0.14
138. Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing | #plans=126 | avg=0.14
139. Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=537 | avg=0.14
140. Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | #plans=674 | avg=0.14
141. Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=109 | avg=0.14
142. Forging and Stamping | #plans=169 | avg=0.14
143. Plastics Product Manufacturing | #plans=654 | avg=0.14
144. Hardware and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=204 | avg=0.14
145. Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing | #plans=50 | avg=0.13
146. Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | #plans=193 | avg=0.13
147. Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Stores | #plans=45 | avg=0.13
148. Residential Building Construction | #plans=278 | avg=0.13
149. Nondepository Credit Intermediation | #plans=408 | avg=0.13
150. Clothing Stores | #plans=137 | avg=0.13
151. Educational Services | #plans=610 | avg=0.13
152. Traveler Accommodation | #plans=517 | avg=0.13
153. Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | #plans=954 | avg=0.13
154. Amusement Parks and Arcades | #plans=32 | avg=0.12
155. Coal Mining | #plans=58 | avg=0.12
156. Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | #plans=62 | avg=0.12
157. Health and Personal Care Stores | #plans=225 | avg=0.12
158. Spectator Sports | #plans=156 | avg=0.12
159. Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing | #plans=120 | avg=0.12
160. Dairy Product Manufacturing | #plans=126 | avg=0.12
161. Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=304 | avg=0.12
162. Offices of Physicians | #plans=1,743 | avg=0.12
163. Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | #plans=60 | avg=0.12
164. Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | #plans=114 | avg=0.11
165. Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | #plans=47 | avg=0.11
166. Textile Product Mills | #plans=97 | avg=0.11
167. Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | #plans=40 | avg=0.11
168. Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing | #plans=55 | avg=0.11
169. Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events | #plans=30 | avg=0.11
170. Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services | #plans=55 | avg=0.11
171. Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | #plans=1,899 | avg=0.11
172. Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | #plans=68 | avg=0.11
173. Grocery Stores | #plans=425 | avg=0.11
174. Direct Selling Establishments | #plans=129 | avg=0.11
175. Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | #plans=78 | avg=0.1
176. Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | #plans=407 | avg=0.1
177. Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | #plans=365 | avg=0.1
178. Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (Except Copyrighted Works) | #plans=19 | avg=0.1
179. Water Transportation | #plans=88 | avg=0.1
180. Support Activities for Mining | #plans=124 | avg=0.1
181. Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | #plans=106 | avg=0.1
182. Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing | #plans=228 | avg=0.1
183. Other Support Activities for Transportation | #plans=99 | avg=0.1
184. Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | #plans=226 | avg=0.099
185. Specialty Food Stores | #plans=112 | avg=0.099
186. Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | #plans=1,496 | avg=0.099
187. Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Stores | #plans=46 | avg=0.098
188. Glass and Glass Product Manufacturing | #plans=89 | avg=0.098
189. Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses | #plans=165 | avg=0.097
190. Telecommunications | #plans=314 | avg=0.096
191. Household Appliance Manufacturing | #plans=35 | avg=0.094
192. Beverage Manufacturing | #plans=207 | avg=0.094
193. Specialized Freight Trucking | #plans=169 | avg=0.094
194. Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | #plans=91 | avg=0.093
195. Book Stores and News Dealers | #plans=15 | avg=0.092
196. Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | #plans=222 | avg=0.092
197. Outpatient Care Centers | #plans=387 | avg=0.092
198. Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | #plans=14 | avg=0.091
199. Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | #plans=86 | avg=0.091
200. Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | #plans=171 | avg=0.09
201. Other Food Manufacturing | #plans=366 | avg=0.088
202. Household Appliances and Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=219 | avg=0.085
203. Rubber Product Manufacturing | #plans=141 | avg=0.085
204. Water, Sewage and Other Systems | #plans=63 | avg=0.084
205. Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | #plans=975 | avg=0.084
206. Hospitals | #plans=611 | avg=0.084
207. Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | #plans=84 | avg=0.082
208. Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=68 | avg=0.081
209. Metal and Mineral (Except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=87 | avg=0.081
210. Radio and Television Broadcasting | #plans=99 | avg=0.081
211. Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing | #plans=146 | avg=0.08
212. Depository Credit Intermediation | #plans=1,747 | avg=0.08
213. Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=68 | avg=0.078
214. Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=211 | avg=0.078
215. Industrial Machinery Manufacturing | #plans=275 | avg=0.078
216. Computer Systems Design and Related Services | #plans=1,896 | avg=0.077
217. Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | #plans=991 | avg=0.074
218. Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | #plans=310 | avg=0.072
219. Support Activities for Road Transportation | #plans=42 | avg=0.071
220. Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | #plans=118 | avg=0.07
221. Department Stores | #plans=18 | avg=0.067
222. Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=114 | avg=0.067
223. Natural Gas Distribution | #plans=66 | avg=0.066
224. Legal Services | #plans=1,082 | avg=0.066
225. General Merchandise Stores, Including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters | #plans=38 | avg=0.065
226. Software Publishers | #plans=329 | avg=0.065
227. Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | #plans=299 | avg=0.065
228. Activities Related To Credit Intermediation | #plans=81 | avg=0.064
229. Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | #plans=579 | avg=0.064
230. Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services | #plans=215 | avg=0.064
231. Cable and Other Subscription Programming | #plans=27 | avg=0.062
232. Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing | #plans=87 | avg=0.062
233. Air Transportation | #plans=175 | avg=0.062
234. Scientific Research and Development Services | #plans=364 | avg=0.062
235. Grain and Oilseed Milling | #plans=45 | avg=0.061
236. Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing | #plans=44 | avg=0.06
237. Oil and Gas Extraction | #plans=215 | avg=0.06
238. Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage | #plans=181 | avg=0.058
239. Rail Transportation | #plans=52 | avg=0.057
240. Hardware Manufacturing | #plans=26 | avg=0.057
241. Lime and Gypsum Product Manufacturing | #plans=13 | avg=0.055
242. Ship and Boat Building | #plans=73 | avg=0.055
243. Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing | #plans=163 | avg=0.055
244. Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | #plans=85 | avg=0.054
245. Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers | #plans=51 | avg=0.053
246. Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | #plans=374 | avg=0.053
247. Metal Ore Mining | #plans=36 | avg=0.052
248. Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing | #plans=68 | avg=0.05
249. Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | #plans=122 | avg=0.05
250. Other Financial Investment Activities | #plans=445 | avg=0.05
251. Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing | #plans=63 | avg=0.048
252. Building Material and Supplies Dealers | #plans=238 | avg=0.048
253. Insurance Carriers | #plans=432 | avg=0.048
254. Communications Equipment Manufacturing | #plans=103 | avg=0.047
255. Management of Companies and Enterprises | #plans=642 | avg=0.047
256. Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | #plans=123 | avg=0.046
257. Basic Chemical Manufacturing | #plans=133 | avg=0.043
258. Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing | #plans=29 | avg=0.042
259. Motion Picture and Video Industries | #plans=87 | avg=0.041
260. Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | #plans=216 | avg=0.04
261. Other Information Services | #plans=245 | avg=0.037
262. Securities and Commodity Exchanges | #plans=10 | avg=0.035
263. Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | #plans=84 | avg=0.035
264. Other Investment Pools and Funds | #plans=68 | avg=0.034
265. Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | #plans=142 | avg=0.033
266. Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | #plans=293 | avg=0.031
267. Pipeline Transportation | #plans=26 | avg=0.029
268. Sound Recording Industries | #plans=7 | avg=0.026
269. Fabric Mills | #plans=1 | avg=0.024
270. Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | #plans=181 | avg=0.022
271. Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | #plans=73 | avg=0.022
272. Tobacco Manufacturing | #plans=25 | avg=0.019

A sentence is worth 1,000 data.(R)

BenchMine is Provided by OnlyBoth  |  Contact us

Unprecedented performance transparency via benchmarking done right.

Coin images from the United States Mint

  • LinkedIn Social Icon
bottom of page