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 2011

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

1.8

1.9

0.1

0.0

1.8

Worker characteristics

          

Management, professional, and related

2.0

2.0

0.1

0.0

2.0

    Professional and related

1.8

1.9

0.1

0.0

1.8

        Teachers

1.9

2.0

0.1

0.1

1.9

            Primary, secondary, and special education
             school teachers

1.9

1.9

0.1

0.1

1.9

Service

2.0

2.1

0.1

0.3

2.0

    Protective service

2.9

3.0

0.2

0.5

2.9

Sales and office

2.6

2.8

0.2

0.3

2.6

    Office and administrative support

2.6

2.8

0.2

0.4

2.6

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

2.6

2.6

0.2

0.4

2.6

Production, transportation, and material moving

2.9

3.3

0.2

0.3

2.9

Full time

1.9

2.0

0.1

0.0

1.9

Part time

2.1

2.4

0.2

0.1

2.1

Union

2.0

2.2

0.1

0.5

2.0

Nonunion

2.4

2.5

0.2

0.0

2.4

Average wage within the following categories:2

          

    Lowest 25 percent

2.5

2.6

0.2

0.0

2.5

        Lowest 10 percent

3.4

3.6

0.3

0.7

3.4

    Second 25 percent

2.3

2.4

0.1

0.4

2.3

    Third 25 percent

2.3

2.4

0.1

0.3

2.3

    Highest 25 percent

1.6

1.8

0.1

0.1

1.6

        Highest 10 percent

1.6

1.8

0.1

0.3

1.6

Establishment characteristics

          

Service-providing industries

1.8

1.9

0.1

0.0

1.8

    Education and health services

1.7

1.8

0.1

0.0

1.7

        Educational services

1.7

1.8

0.1

0.0

1.7

            Elementary and secondary schools

1.7

1.8

0.1

0.0

1.7

            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities

3.6

3.7

0.4

0.5

3.6

        Health care and social assistance

4.5

4.5

0.3

0.7

4.5

            Hospitals

5.4

5.5

0.4

0.7

5.4

    Public administration

2.9

2.9

0.1

0.0

2.9

1 to 99 workers

3.3

3.2

0.3

0.1

3.3

    1 to 49 workers

2.9

3.0

0.3

0.2

2.9

    50 to 99 workers

5.5

5.5

0.4

0.3

5.5

100 workers or more

1.8

1.9

0.1

0.0

1.8

    100 to 499 workers

2.9

3.1

0.2

0.1

2.9

    500 workers or more

2.0

2.0

0.1

0.0

2.0

State government

3.7

3.4

0.2

0.0

3.7

Local government

1.6

1.7

0.1

0.0

1.6

Geographic areas

          

New England

0.6

4.3

0.2

0.6

0.6

Middle Atlantic

1.3

1.2

0.2

0.0

1.3

East North Central

5.8

5.7

0.2

0.1

5.8

West North Central

1.8

1.8

0.4

0.5

1.8

South Atlantic

5.2

5.2

0.1

0.0

5.2

East South Central

2.6

2.6

0.7

–

2.6

Pacific

5.1

5.3

0.2

0.0

5.1

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: 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.