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 2013

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

1.4

1.6

0.1

0.1

1.4

Worker characteristics

          

Management, professional, and related

1.6

1.7

0.1

0.1

1.6

    Professional and related

1.5

1.6

0.1

0.1

1.5

        Teachers

1.7

1.9

0.1

[2]

1.7

            Primary, secondary, and special education
             school teachers

1.9

1.9

0.1

0.1

1.9

Service

1.5

1.8

0.1

0.2

1.5

    Protective service

2.2

2.7

0.2

0.2

2.2

Sales and office

2.2

2.5

0.2

0.2

2.2

    Office and administrative support

2.2

2.5

0.2

0.1

2.2

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

2.0

2.1

0.2

0.0

2.0

Production, transportation, and material moving

2.7

3.7

0.3

0.4

2.7

Full time

1.5

1.7

0.1

0.1

1.5

Part time

1.9

2.6

0.2

0.5

1.9

Union

1.8

2.1

0.1

0.1

1.8

Nonunion

1.8

1.8

0.2

0.0

1.8

Average wage within the following categories:3

          

    Lowest 25 percent

1.9

2.0

0.2

0.1

1.9

        Lowest 10 percent

2.6

2.9

0.3

0.7

2.6

    Second 25 percent

1.8

2.1

0.1

0.1

1.8

    Third 25 percent

2.1

2.2

0.1

0.1

2.1

    Highest 25 percent

1.4

1.7

0.1

0.2

1.4

        Highest 10 percent

1.4

2.0

0.1

0.2

1.4

Establishment characteristics

          

Service-providing industries

1.5

1.6

0.1

0.1

1.5

    Education and health services

1.5

1.6

0.1

0.1

1.5

        Educational services

1.5

1.6

0.1

0.1

1.5

            Elementary and secondary schools

1.7

1.8

0.1

0.1

1.7

            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities

2.7

2.8

0.3

0.2

2.7

        Healthcare and social assistance

4.4

4.6

0.2

0.4

4.4

            Hospitals

5.7

6.0

0.3

0.1

5.7

    Public administration

2.5

2.5

0.2

0.4

2.5

1 to 99 workers

3.4

3.5

0.5

0.3

3.4

    1 to 49 workers

2.5

3.1

0.3

0.4

2.5

    50 to 99 workers

6.0

6.3

0.8

0.7

6.0

100 workers or more

1.4

1.5

0.1

0.1

1.4

    100 to 499 workers

2.9

3.2

0.2

0.1

2.9

    500 workers or more

1.2

1.4

0.1

0.1

1.2

State government

2.6

2.6

0.2

0.3

2.6

Local government

1.5

1.6

0.1

0.1

1.5

Geographic areas

          

Middle Atlantic

1.2

1.2

0.2

0.2

1.2

East North Central

4.0

4.0

0.2

0.2

4.0

West North Central

1.7

1.7

0.4

0.7

1.7

South Atlantic

2.2

2.2

0.2

0.8

2.2

Pacific

5.2

5.4

0.2

0.0

5.2

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

3Surveyed occupations are classified into wage categories
based on the average wage for the occupation, which may include
workers with earnings both above and below the threshold.  The
categories were formed using percentile estimates generated
using data from the National Compensation Survey publication,
"Employer Costs for Employee Compensation - March&nbs p;2013."

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/glossary20122013.htm.