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Employee Benefits Survey
EBS EBS Program Links

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

Table 4. Standard errors for defined benefit retirement plans: Employee contribution
requirement and method of contribution, State and local government workers, March 2017
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
0.7
0.8
[2]
0.0
0.7
Worker characteristics
         
Management, professional, and related
0.7
1.0
0.1
[2]
0.7
    Professional and related
0.7
1.1
0.1
0.0
0.7
        Teachers
0.8
1.1
0.1
0.3
0.8
            Primary, secondary, and special education
             school teachers
0.8
1.1
0.1
0.1
0.8
Service
1.1
1.7
0.1
0.0
1.1
    Protective service
1.7
2.9
0.2
0.3
1.7
Sales and office
1.2
1.5
0.1
0.2
1.2
    Office and administrative support
1.2
1.5
0.1
0.2
1.2
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance
3.1
3.6
0.2
0.1
3.1
Production, transportation, and material moving
3.0
3.0
0.2
[2]
3.0
Full time
0.7
0.8
[2]
0.0
0.7
Part time
2.3
3.0
0.2
0.0
2.3
Union
0.9
1.3
0.1
0.0
0.9
Nonunion
1.0
1.1
0.1
[2]
1.0
Average wage within the following categories:3
         
    Lowest 25 percent
0.9
1.4
0.1
0.3
0.9
        Lowest 10 percent
1.7
2.4
0.2
0.5
1.7
    Second 25 percent
1.4
1.5
0.1
0.2
1.4
    Third 25 percent
1.1
1.6
0.1
0.0
1.1
    Highest 25 percent
0.7
1.2
0.1
0.1
0.7
        Highest 10 percent
0.9
1.5
0.2
0.2
0.9
Establishment characteristics
         
Service-providing industries
0.7
0.8
[2]
0.0
0.7
    Education and health services
0.8
0.9
0.1
0.0
0.8
        Educational services
0.7
0.9
[2]
0.0
0.7
            Elementary and secondary schools
0.8
1.2
[2]
0.0
0.8
            Junior colleges, colleges, and universities
1.1
1.9
0.1
0.3
1.1
        Health care and social assistance
–
5.0
0.4
0.6
–
            Hospitals
–
7.3
0.3
0.7
–
    Public administration
1.5
2.0
0.1
0.2
1.5
1 to 99 workers
1.2
1.9
0.2
0.0
1.2
    1 to 49 workers
1.7
2.4
0.2
0.4
1.7
    50 to 99 workers
2.1
3.1
0.2
0.1
2.1
100 workers or more
0.7
0.9
0.1
0.1
0.7
    100 to 499 workers
1.3
1.9
0.1
0.2
1.3
    500 workers or more
1.0
1.3
0.1
0.0
1.0
State government
1.0
1.6
0.1
0.1
1.0
Local government
0.9
1.0
[2]
0.1
0.9
Geographic areas
         
Northeast
0.6
2.5
0.1
0.1
0.6
    New England
–
6.5
0.4
0.3
–
    Middle Atlantic
0.8
2.7
0.1
0.1
0.8
South
0.9
0.9
0.1
0.6
0.9
    South Atlantic
0.5
0.8
0.1
0.0
0.5
    East South Central
4.0
3.8
0.1
0.3
4.0
    West South Central
1.3
1.3
0.1
0.1
1.3
Midwest
1.6
2.2
0.1
0.1
1.6
    East North Central
2.5
3.3
0.1
0.7
2.5
    West North Central
0.6
1.0
0.2
0.0
0.6
West
1.9
1.8
0.1
0.0
1.9
    Mountain
2.9
2.9
0.3
0.2
2.9
    Pacific
2.3
2.2
0.1
0.9
2.3
1The employee contributes a fixed percentage of his or her earnings to the retirement plan.
2Less than 0.05.
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 wage
data for March 2017.

Note: For definitions of major plans, key provisions, and related terms, see the "Glossary of Employee Benefit Terms" at
www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/glossary20162017.htm.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey.