Defined benefit retirement plans: Employee contribution requirement and method of contribution

Table 3. Defined benefit retirement plans: Employee contribution requirement and method
of contribution, State and local government workers, National Compensation Survey,
March 2011

(All workers participating in defined benefit plans = 100 percent)

Characteristics

Employee
contribution
required

Fixed percent of annual earnings1

Employee
contribution
not required

Total

Mean fixed
percent of
annual
earnings

Median fixed
percent of
annual
earnings

All workers

79

72

6.5

6.4

21

Worker characteristics

          

Management, professional, and related

79

73

6.5

6.4

21

    Professional and related

81

74

6.6

6.4

19

        Teachers

82

76

6.8

6.4

18

            Primary, secondary, and special education
             school teachers

82

77

6.8

6.4

18

Service

78

73

6.8

6.5

22

    Protective service

75

70

7.2

7.3

25

Sales and office

77

71

6.2

6.0

23

    Office and administrative support

77

71

6.2

6.0

23

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

76

73

5.9

6.0

24

Production, transportation, and material moving

80

74

6.3

6.0

20

Full time

78

72

6.4

6.4

22

Part time

86

76

6.7

7.0

14

Union

79

70

6.4

6.5

21

Nonunion

78

75

6.5

6.4

22

Average wage within the following categories:2

          

    Lowest 25 percent

77

73

6.5

6.4

23

        Lowest 10 percent

78

75

6.7

6.4

22

    Second 25 percent

79

72

6.3

6.0

21

    Third 25 percent

75

69

6.4

6.3

25

    Highest 25 percent

83

75

6.6

6.4

17

        Highest 10 percent

85

75

6.8

7.3

15

Establishment characteristics

          

Service-providing industries

79

72

6.5

6.4

21

    Education and health services

81

74

6.6

6.4

19

        Educational services

83

76

6.6

6.4

17

            Elementary and secondary schools

83

77

6.6

6.4

17

            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities

82

71

6.7

6.4

18

        Health care and social assistance

70

63

6.0

5.5

30

            Hospitals

65

61

5.9

6.0

35

    Public administration

74

68

6.3

6.0

26

1 to 99 workers

80

75

6.0

6.0

20

    1 to 49 workers

85

82

5.9

6.0

15

    50 to 99 workers

73

66

6.2

6.0

27

100 workers or more

79

72

6.5

6.4

21

    100 to 499 workers

79

72

6.6

6.4

21

    500 workers or more

79

72

6.5

6.4

21

State government

77

66

6.1

6.0

23

Local government

79

75

6.6

6.4

21

Geographic areas

          

New England

99

62

6.3

5.5

1

Middle Atlantic

93

92

5.2

5.5

7

East North Central

68

60

7.8

9.4

32

West North Central

94

94

5.9

4.8

6

South Atlantic

58

57

5.6

6.0

42

East South Central

90

90

6.9

–

10

Pacific

78

59

6.7

7.0

22

1The employee contributes a fixed percentage of his or her earnings to the retirement plan.

2The 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: Because of rounding, sums of individual items may not equal totals. Dash indicates no workers in this category or data did not
meet publication criteria. 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.