SURVEY | July 15, 2026

2026
PLANSPONSOR 403(b) Market Survey

Reported by PLANSPONSOR

Industry Snapshot

PURCHASE REPRINT WANT MORE INFO?

Industry Snapshot

Defined Contribution Assets, by Plan Type

Single-employer 401(k)

$9,682.2B

Multiple employer 401(k)

$125.6B

Pooled employer 401(k)

$34.2B

Single-employer 403(b)

$1,697.1B

Multiple employer 403(b)

$12.7B

Pooled employer 403(b)

$0.3B

457(f)

$5.0B

457(b) governmental

$653.6B

457(b) nongovernmental

$52.6B

ESOP / KSOP^*

$154.5B

Money purchase / Profit-sharing

$335.1B

NQDC^†, excluding 457s

$235.9B

SEP / SIMPLE IRA^‡

$42.9B

State-sponsored^§

$2.7B

Any other DC plan type

$1,500.5B

* A qualified retirement plan combining an employee stock ownership plan with a 401(k).
† Nonqualified deferred compensation.
‡ Simple employer pension / Savings incentive match plan for employees individual retirement account.
§ State-sponsored individual retirement plans—e.g., Secure Choice.

403(b) Assets, by Plan Size*

≤25 participants 2.7%
26 – 100 participants 4.6%
>100 – 500 participants 13.6%
>500 – 1,000 participants 6.0%
>1,000 – 5,000 participants 18.9%
>5,000 participants 54.2%

403(b) Plans, by Plan Type*

ERISA 27.5%
Non-ERISA 72.5%

403(b) Assets, by Industry*

Charitable organizations

3.4%

Education – K-12, Public Colleges and Universities

45.5%

Government/Public works

1.2%

Health care organizations (not-for-profit)

32.1%

Labor Unions

1.0%

Religious Organizations

4.4%

All other 403(b) segments

12.3%

403(b) Participants, by Industry*

Charitable organizations

4.2%

Education – K-12, Public Colleges and Universities

41.9%

Government/Public works

1.8%

Health care organizations (not-for-profit)

37.7%

Labor Unions

1.8%

Religious Organizations

4.8%

All other 403(b) segments

7.8%

403(b) Plans, by Industry*

Charitable organizations

11.8%

Education – K-12, Public Colleges and Universities

42.6%

Government/Public works

2.2%

Health care organizations (not-for-profit)

13.2%

Labor Unions

1.2%

Religious Organizations

5.2%

All other 403(b) segments

23.9%

*Totals represent findings for single-employer 403(b)s

visit