Table 17. Defined benefit plans: Eligibility requirements, private industry workers, National Compensation Survey,
2009

(All workers participating in defined benefit plans = 100 percent)
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                                                            Open to new employees                                  
                                                                                                                   
                                      Plans                                                     Plans not          
                                     open to     With               Median      No     Age and   open to     Not   
     Characteristics        Total      new     minimum    Median   service   minimum   service     new    determin-
                                    employees   age or     age    requirem-   age or  requirem- employees    able  
                                               service  requirem-  ent (in   service   ent not                     
                                              requirem-    ent     months)  requirem- determin-                    
                                                 ent                           ent       able                      
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                   
  Worker characteristic                                                                                            
                                                                                                                   
All workers..............       100        87        69        21        12        18         1        12         1
                                                                                                                   
Management, professional,                                                                                          
and related..............       100        83        67        21        12        16       (1)        17       (1)
  Management, business,                                                                                            
  and financial..........       100        86        73        21        12        12       (1)        14       (1)
  Professional and                                                                                                 
  related................       100        81        62        21        12        19       (1)        18         1
Service..................       100        91        80        21        12         9         2         9         1
Sales and office.........       100        94        81        21        12        12       (1)         6       (1)
  Sales and related......       100        98        88        21        12         –         –         –         –
  Office and                                                                                                       
  administrative support        100        92        79        21        12        13       (1)         7       (1)
Natural resources,                                                                                                 
construction, and                                                                                                  
maintenance..............       100        89        53        21        12        35       (1)         –         –
  Construction,                                                                                                    
  extraction, farming,                                                                                             
  fishing, and forestry..       100        97        47        21        12        49         –         –         –
  Installation,                                                                                                    
  maintenance, and repair       100        78        60        21        12         –         –         –         –
Production,                                                                                                        
transportation, and                                                                                                
material moving..........       100        83        61        21        12        20         2        15         2
  Production.............       100        68        45        21        12        20         3        28         4
  Transportation and                                                                                               
  material moving........       100        96        76        21        12         –         –         –         –
                                                                                                                   
Full time................       100        86        67        21        12        18         1        13         1
Part time................       100        94        80        21        12        14       (1)         –         –
                                                                                                                   
Union....................       100        89        63        21        12        25         1        10       (1)
Nonunion.................       100        86        72        21        12        13         1        13         1
                                                                                                                   
Average wage within the                                                                                            
following categories:(2)                                                                                           
  Lowest 25 percent......       100        93        76        21        12         –         –         –         –
  Second 25 percent......       100        93        71        21        12        21         1         7       (1)
  Third 25 percent.......       100        90        72        21        12        16         2         8         2
  Highest 25 percent.....       100        81        63        21        12        18       (1)        18         1
    Highest 10 percent...       100        82        69        21        12        13       (1)        17       (1)
                                                                                                                   
      Establishment                                                                                                
     characteristic                                                                                                
                                                                                                                   
Goods-producing                                                                                                    
industries...............       100        74        43        21        12        28         3        24         2
  Construction...........       100        97        39         –         –        58         –         –         –
  Manufacturing..........       100        66        44        21        12        17         4        31         3
                                                                                                                   
Service-providing                                                                                                  
industries...............       100        91        77        21        12        14       (1)         8       (1)
  Trade, transportation,                                                                                           
  and utilities..........       100        92        79        21        12        13         –         –         –
    Retail trade.........       100        94        78        21        12         –         –         –         –
  Information............       100        83        71        21        12         –         –         –         –
  Financial activities...       100        90        80        21        12        10       (1)        10       (1)
    Finance and insurance       100        90        79        21        12        10       (1)        10       (1)
      Credit                                                                                                       
      intermediation and                                                                                           
      related activities        100        93        82        21        12         –         –         –         –
      Insurance carriers                                                                                           
      and related                                                                                                  
      activities.........       100        88        76        21        12         –         –         –         –
  Education and health                                                                                             
  services...............       100        94        69        21        12        24         1         6         –
    Educational services        100        93         –         –         –        47         –         –         –
      Junior colleges,                                                                                             
      colleges, and                                                                                                
      universities.......       100        87        47        19        12        40         –         –         –
    Health care and                                                                                                
    social assistance....       100        94        70        21        12         –         –         6         –
                                                                                                                   
1 to 99 workers..........       100        87        69        21        12        17       (1)        11         2
  1 to 49 workers........       100        88        70        21        12         –         –        12       (1)
  50 to 99 workers.......       100        85        68        21        12         –         –         –         –
100 workers or more......       100        87        68        21        12        18         1        13       (1)
  100 to 499 workers.....       100        88        66        21        12        20         2        12         –
  500 workers or more....       100        86        70        21        12        16         1        13         1
                                                                                                                   
     Geographic area                                                                                               
                                                                                                                   
New England..............       100        91        77        21        12        14         1         –         –
Middle Atlantic..........       100        90        71        21        12        19         –        10       (1)
East North Central.......       100        80        67        21        12        12         1        20       (1)
West North Central.......       100        91        83        21        12         –         –         –         –
South Atlantic...........       100        83        67        21        12        14         2        15         2
East South Central.......       100        94         –         –         –        52         –         –         –
West South Central.......       100        94        68        21        12         –         –         –         –
Mountain.................       100        85        66        21        12         –         –         –         –
Pacific..................       100        86        67        21        12        19         –         –         –

  1 Less than 0.5 percent.
  2 The categories are based on the average wage for each occupation surveyed, which may include workers 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, 2008." See Technical Note for more details.

NOTE: Because of rounding, sums of individual items may not equal totals. Dashes indicate that no data were
reported or that data do 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/glossary20092010.htm.