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

Table 3. Standard errors for defined benefit retirement plans: Employee contribution
requirement and method of contribution, State and local government workers, National
Compensation Survey, March 2012

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

1.7

1.8

0.2

0.1

1.7

Worker characteristics

          

Management, professional, and related

1.8

1.9

0.2

0.1

1.8

    Professional and related

1.7

–

–

–

1.7

        Teachers

1.9

2.0

0.1

0.2

1.9

            Primary, secondary, and special education
             school teachers

1.9

2.0

0.1

0.2

1.9

Service

1.7

1.9

0.1

0.4

1.7

    Protective service

2.4

2.7

0.2

0.6

2.4

Sales and office

2.3

2.6

0.7

0.3

2.3

    Office and administrative support

2.4

2.6

0.7

0.2

2.4

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

2.3

2.3

0.2

[2]

2.3

Production, transportation, and material moving

2.8

3.5

0.2

0.3

2.8

Full time

1.7

1.8

0.2

0.1

1.7

Part time

2.4

2.5

0.9

0.1

2.4

Union

2.1

–

–

–

2.1

Nonunion

1.9

2.0

0.3

0.0

1.9

Average wage within the following categories:3

          

    Lowest 25 percent

2.1

2.3

0.4

[2]

2.1

        Lowest 10 percent

2.7

2.9

0.3

0.9

2.7

    Second 25 percent

1.9

2.1

0.4

0.3

1.9

    Highest 25 percent

1.5

1.7

0.1

0.2

1.5

        Highest 10 percent

1.6

1.9

0.1

0.3

1.6

Establishment characteristics

          

Service-providing industries

1.7

1.8

0.2

0.1

1.7

    Education and health services

1.7

1.8

0.3

0.1

1.7

        Educational services

1.7

1.8

0.3

[2]

1.7

            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities

3.5

3.6

0.3

0.5

3.5

        Healthcare and social assistance

4.9

5.0

0.2

1.4

4.9

            Hospitals

5.6

5.7

0.3

0.9

5.6

    Public administration

2.6

2.6

0.2

0.1

2.6

1 to 99 workers

3.9

4.0

1.5

0.3

3.9

    1 to 49 workers

2.6

2.9

0.3

0.3

2.6

    50 to 99 workers

7.1

7.5

–

0.8

7.1

100 workers or more

1.6

1.6

0.1

0.1

1.6

    100 to 499 workers

3.1

3.2

0.2

[2]

3.1

    500 workers or more

1.5

1.7

0.1

0.1

1.5

State government

3.2

3.2

0.2

0.0

3.2

Geographic areas

          

New England

0.9

4.3

0.1

1.1

0.9

Middle Atlantic

1.2

1.2

0.2

0.4

1.2

East North Central

6.3

6.1

0.2

0.2

6.3

West North Central

1.6

1.7

0.4

0.6

1.6

Pacific

5.5

5.7

1.1

0.0

5.5

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

3The 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.

2Less than 0.05.


NOTE: 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/glossary20112012.htm.