Table 1. Retirement benefits: Access, participation, and take-up rates
Table 1. Retirement benefits:(1) Access, participation, and take-up rates,(2) National Compensation Survey, March
2012
(All workers = 100 percent)
Civilian(3) Private industry State and local government
Characteristics
Access Particip- Take-up Access Particip- Take-up Access Particip- Take-up
ation rate ation rate ation rate
All workers.............. 68 54 79 65 48 75 89 84 95
Worker characteristics
Management, professional,
and related.............. 83 74 89 79 68 86 91 86 95
Management, business,
and financial.......... 84 76 91 83 74 90 – – –
Professional and
related................ 82 72 88 78 65 84 91 86 95
Teachers............. 88 83 94 – – – 91 87 96
Primary, secondary,
and special
education school
teachers........... 97 93 96 – – – 99 96 97
Registered nurses.... 82 69 84 – – – – – –
Service.................. 47 29 63 40 21 51 83 79 95
Protective service..... 76 60 78 56 22 40 91 87 96
Sales and office......... 71 54 76 69 51 74 89 85 95
Sales and related...... 67 42 63 67 41 62 – – –
Office and
administrative support 73 61 83 70 57 81 90 86 96
Natural resources,
construction, and
maintenance.............. 68 55 81 65 51 78 95 90 95
Construction,
extraction, farming,
fishing, and forestry.. 65 52 80 61 46 76 – – –
Installation,
maintenance, and repair 71 58 81 69 55 80 – – –
Production,
transportation, and
material moving.......... 67 52 77 66 50 76 87 82 95
Production............. 69 54 78 69 54 78 – – –
Transportation and
material moving........ 65 49 75 64 47 73 – – –
Full time................ 78 65 83 74 59 80 99 94 95
Part time................ 38 21 54 38 19 50 39 35 90
Union.................... 95 88 93 92 85 92 97 92 95
Nonunion................. 64 48 75 62 45 72 83 78 95
Average wage within the
following categories:(4)
Lowest 25 percent...... 41 21 51 38 17 45 73 69 94
Lowest 10 percent.... 30 10 33 29 8 28 59 55 93
Second 25 percent...... 70 52 75 65 46 70 93 88 95
Third 25 percent....... 79 67 85 75 61 82 94 89 94
Highest 25 perecent.... 88 80 91 85 75 89 98 94 96
Highest 10 percent... 90 83 92 86 78 91 98 94 96
Establishment
characteristics
Goods-producing
industries............... 75 61 82 74 61 81 – – –
Service-providing
industries............... 67 53 79 63 46 74 89 84 95
Education and health
services............... 77 66 85 69 54 78 90 85 94
Educational services 86 80 93 71 60 84 91 86 95
Elementary and
secondary schools.. 91 86 95 – – – 92 88 96
Junior colleges,
colleges, and
universities....... 87 78 90 90 77 87 86 78 91
Health care and
social assistance.... 70 55 78 69 53 77 88 81 91
Hospitals.......... 90 77 86 – – – 95 85 89
Public administration.. 90 86 95 – – – 90 86 95
1 to 99 workers.......... 51 36 70 50 34 68 77 73 95
1 to 49 workers........ 47 33 70 46 32 69 69 66 96
50 to 99 workers....... 65 45 70 63 42 67 89 84 95
100 workers or more...... 84 71 84 82 65 80 91 86 95
100 to 499 workers..... 80 61 77 79 58 74 87 83 96
500 workers or more.... 89 80 91 86 76 88 92 87 94
Geographic areas
New England.............. 69 54 79 66 50 76 84 79 95
Middle Atlantic.......... 69 56 82 65 51 79 91 84 92
East North Central....... 71 57 81 69 54 78 85 81 96
West North Central....... 72 57 79 68 52 76 91 83 91
South Atlantic........... 68 51 75 64 45 70 90 83 92
East South Central....... 72 57 79 66 47 72 92 90 97
West South Central....... 68 52 77 64 46 72 88 86 98
Mountain................. 66 50 76 63 45 71 88 85 97
Pacific.................. 64 53 83 59 47 78 91 88 97
1 Includes defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution retirement plans. Workers are considered as
having access or as participating if they have access to or are participating in at least one of these plan types.
2 The take-up rate is an estimate of the percentage of workers with access to a plan who participate in the plan,
rounded for presentation. See Technical Note for more details.
3 Includes workers in the private nonfarm economy except those in private households, and workers in the public
sector, except the federal government. See Technical Note for further explanation.
4 The percentile groupings are based on the average wage for each occupation surveyed, which may include workers
both above and below the threshold. The percentile values 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: 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/glossary20112012.htm.