Defined contribution retirement plans: Selected attributes

Table 8. Defined contribution retirement plans: Selected attributes, civilian
workers,1 National Compensation Survey, March 2011

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

Characteristics

Employee contribution

Employee contribution
option

Required

Not required

Pretax

Not pretax

All workers

62

38

78

22

Worker characteristics

        

Management, professional, and related

66

34

83

17

    Management, business, and financial

69

31

85

15

    Professional and related

65

35

82

18

        Teachers

56

44

78

22

            Primary, secondary, and special education
             school teachers

47

53

70

30

        Registered nurses

65

35

82

18

Service

62

38

83

17

    Protective service

68

32

79

21

Sales and office

55

45

70

30

    Sales and related

46

54

55

45

    Office and administrative support

60

40

78

22

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

63

37

81

19

    Construction, extraction, farming, fishing, and
     forestry

55

45

78

22

    Installation, maintenance, and repair

69

31

83

17

Production, transportation, and material moving

66

34

81

19

    Production

67

33

82

18

    Transportation and material moving

65

35

80

20

Full time

63

37

79

21

Part time

55

45

70

30

Union

57

43

78

22

Nonunion

62

38

78

22

Average wage within the following categories:2

        

    Lowest 25 percent

56

44

70

30

        Lowest 10 percent

63

37

81

19

    Second 25 percent

57

43

72

28

    Third 25 percent

65

35

82

18

    Highest 25 percent

66

34

84

16

        Highest 10 percent

66

34

84

16

Establishment characteristics

        

Goods-producing industries

66

34

82

18

Service-providing industries

61

39

77

23

    Education and health services

58

42

80

20

        Educational services

55

45

75

25

            Elementary and secondary schools

46

54

70

30

            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities

59

41

77

23

        Health care and social assistance

60

40

82

18

            Hospitals

66

34

81

19

    Public administration

57

43

81

19

1 to 99 workers

64

36

83

17

    1 to 49 workers

63

37

84

16

    50 to 99 workers

65

35

82

18

100 workers or more

61

39

76

24

    100 to 499 workers

58

42

71

29

    500 workers or more

64

36

81

19

Geographic areas

        

New England

65

35

81

19

Middle Atlantic

60

40

81

19

East North Central

58

42

76

24

West North Central

64

36

79

21

South Atlantic

60

40

76

24

East South Central

64

36

75

25

West South Central

65

35

76

24

Mountain

63

37

82

18

Pacific

65

35

81

19

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.

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. 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.