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

Table 4. Standard errors for defined benefit retirement plans:1 Employee contribution
requirement and method of contribution, State and local government workers, National
Compensation Survey, March 2015

Characteristics

Employee
contribution
required

Fixed percent of annual earnings2

Employee
contribution
not required

Total

Mean fixed
percent of
annual
earnings

Median fixed
percent of
annual
earnings

All workers

1.4

1.7

0.1

0.1

1.4

Worker characteristics

          

Management, professional, and related

1.5

1.7

0.1

0.1

1.5

    Professional and related

1.4

1.6

0.1

0.1

1.4

        Teachers

1.2

1.6

0.1

0.0

1.2

            Primary, secondary, and special education
             school teachers

1.2

1.6

0.2

[3]

1.2

Service

1.4

2.1

0.1

[3]

1.4

    Protective service

1.8

2.7

0.2

0.6

1.8

Sales and office

2.2

2.8

0.2

0.1

2.2

    Office and administrative support

2.3

2.8

0.2

0.2

2.3

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance

2.0

2.5

0.3

0.3

2.0

Production, transportation, and material moving

3.1

3.7

0.3

0.2

3.1

Full time

1.4

1.6

0.1

0.1

1.4

Part time

2.0

3.3

0.2

0.0

2.0

Union

1.9

2.1

0.1

0.0

1.9

Nonunion

1.4

1.6

0.2

[3]

1.4

Average wage within the following categories:4

          

    Lowest 25 percent

1.6

2.1

0.3

0.2

1.6

        Lowest 10 percent

2.0

2.8

0.4

0.6

2.0

    Second 25 percent

1.8

2.1

0.1

0.1

1.8

    Third 25 percent

2.0

2.2

0.2

0.1

2.0

    Highest 25 percent

1.3

1.8

0.1

0.2

1.3

        Highest 10 percent

1.4

2.1

0.1

0.4

1.4

Establishment characteristics

          

Service-providing industries

1.4

1.7

0.1

0.1

1.4

    Education and health services

1.2

1.5

0.1

0.1

1.2

        Educational services

1.1

1.4

0.1

[3]

1.1

            Elementary and secondary schools

1.2

1.6

0.1

0.1

1.2

            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities

2.5

2.7

0.2

0.2

2.5

        Health care and social assistance

4.7

5.4

0.2

0.3

4.7

            Hospitals

6.2

7.5

0.3

0.1

6.2

    Public administration

2.5

2.6

0.2

[3]

2.5

1 to 99 workers

3.5

4.4

0.5

0.8

3.5

    1 to 49 workers

1.8

4.2

0.4

0.7

1.8

100 workers or more

1.3

1.5

0.1

[3]

1.3

    100 to 499 workers

2.6

3.0

0.2

0.1

2.6

    500 workers or more

1.1

1.3

0.1

0.1

1.1

State government

2.7

2.8

0.2

0.1

2.7

Local government

1.3

1.7

0.1

0.1

1.3

Geographic areas

          

Northeast

0.8

2.6

0.1

0.0

0.8

    New England

0.8

6.5

0.2

0.3

0.8

    Middle Atlantic

1.1

2.8

0.1

0.0

1.1

South

1.3

1.4

0.2

0.2

1.3

    South Atlantic

1.4

1.6

0.2

1.0

1.4

Midwest

2.1

2.6

0.2

0.1

2.1

    East North Central

3.5

4.2

0.2

0.4

3.5

    West North Central

1.1

1.2

0.5

[3]

1.1

West

5.3

5.4

0.3

0.0

5.3

    Pacific

6.0

5.7

0.1

0.6

6.0

1The 2014 estimates are not strictly comparable to corresponding estimates in previous years. See technical note for more
information.

2The employee contributes a fixed percentage of his or her earnings to the retirement plan.

3Less than 0.05.

4Surveyed 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 wage
data for March 2015.


Note: For definitions of major plans, key provisions, and related terms, see the "Glossary of Employee Benefit Terms" at
www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/glossary20142015.htm.