Standard Errors
Defined benefit retirement plans: Open and frozen plans

Table 4. Standard errors for defined benefit retirement plans: Open
and frozen plans, civilian workers,1 National Compensation Survey,
March 2011

Characteristics

Open plans2

Frozen plans3

All workers

0.7

0.7

Worker characteristics

   

Management, professional, and related

1.0

1.0

    Management, business, and financial

1.4

1.4

    Professional and related

1.1

1.1

        Teachers

0.9

0.9

            Primary, secondary, and special education
             school teachers

0.9

0.9

        Registered nurses

2.3

2.3

Service

1.3

1.3

    Protective service

1.7

1.7

Sales and office

1.1

1.1

    Office and administrative support

1.1

1.1

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

1.0

1.0

    Construction, extraction, farming, fishing, and
     forestry

0.9

0.9

    Installation, maintenance, and repair

1.7

1.7

Production, transportation, and material moving

1.6

1.6

    Production

2.4

2.4

    Transportation and material moving

1.9

1.9

Full time

0.7

0.7

Part time

1.6

1.6

Union

0.9

0.9

Nonunion

0.9

0.9

Average wage within the following categories:4

   

    Lowest 25 percent

2.9

2.9

        Lowest 10 percent

6.8

6.8

    Second 25 percent

1.0

1.0

    Third 25 percent

0.9

0.9

    Highest 25 percent

0.9

0.9

        Highest 10 percent

1.4

1.4

Establishment characteristics

   

Goods-producing industries

1.8

1.8

Service-providing industries

0.8

0.8

    Education and health services

0.9

0.9

        Educational services

0.9

0.9

            Elementary and secondary schools

0.9

0.9

            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities

2.1

2.1

        Health care and social assistance

2.2

2.2

            Hospitals

2.2

2.2

    Public administration

1.5

1.5

1 to 99 workers

1.5

1.5

    1 to 49 workers

1.6

1.6

    50 to 99 workers

2.6

2.6

100 workers or more

0.8

0.8

    100 to 499 workers

1.6

1.6

    500 workers or more

0.9

0.9

Geographic areas

   

New England

3.1

3.1

Middle Atlantic

0.9

0.9

East North Central

1.8

1.8

West North Central

2.4

2.4

South Atlantic

1.7

1.7

East South Central

3.2

3.2

West South Central

2.1

2.1

Mountain

4.4

4.4

Pacific

1.6

1.6

1Includes workers in the private nonfarm economy except those in private households, and workers in
the public sector, except the federal government. See Technical Note for further explanation.

2Plans open to new participants.

3Plans closed to new workers or plans that cease accruals for some or all plan participants.

4The categories are based on the average wage for each occupation surveyed, which may include
workers with earnings both above and below the threshold. The average wages are based on the
estimates published in the "National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States,
2010." See Technical Note for more details.


NOTE: For definitions of major plans, key provisions, and related terms, see the "Glossary of Employee
Benefit Terms" at www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/glossary20102011.htm.