Top 401(k) Plans Ranked by Industry

It’s always interesting to hear about companies that offer particularly strong 401(k) plans, which is why MONEY’s new rankings of “401(k) superstars” released June 10—companies offering workers top-rated plans in various industries—caught our eye.

MONEY identified what it deems the most generous plans across 14 different industries using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and investment research firm BrightScope that focused on bigger plans with $100 million or more in assets.

Low fees and a good company match are keys to a high-quality plan, MONEY says, and although Brightscope doesn’t break out fees or the company match, MONEY said it is likely the top-rated companies are competitive in these areas and notes the average employer match now sits at 4.7%, citing Fidelity’s research.

Here are the companies that were deemed leaders in their industries (listed alphabetically by industry), according to MONEY’s analysis of 401(k) plans:

Accommodation and Food Services

1. Chick-fil-A

• Average 401(k) balance: $158,188
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $47,788

Airlines

1. United Airlines

• Average 401(k) balance: $641,218
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $190,092

Business and Finance

1. Lone Pine Capital

• Average 401(k) balance: $1,037,787
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $148,684

Educational Services

1. California Teachers Association

• Average 401(k) balance: $239,091
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $93,636

Health Care and Social Assistance

1. Sutter Medical Group

• Average 401(k) balance: $497,124
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $114,168

Information

1. SES Americom

• Average 401(k) balance: $290,142
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $106,066

Law

1. Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett

• Average 401(k) balance: $667,815
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $314,958

Management of Companies and Enterprises

1. BHP USA

• Average 401(k) balance: $255,240
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $141,463

Manufacturing

1. Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A.

• Average 401(k) balance: $229,297
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $134,895

Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

1. CNX Resources

• Average 401(k) balance: $177,565
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $138,278

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

1. Zeta Associates

• Average 401(k) balance: $589,469
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $137,698

Retail Trade

1. SAP America

• Average 401k balance: $211,199
• Industry average 401k balance: $56,758

Technology

1. The Valve Corporation

• Average 401(k) balance: $249,261
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $123,271

Utilities

1. Oglethorpe Power

• Average 401(k) balance: $367,770
• Industry average 401(k) balance: $201,211

The MONEY rankings also display the number of extra years a plan participant would need to work at a company with an average plan to end up with the same amount of retirement savings that the top plan in that industry would provide, and the average dollars lost by average plans compared to the top-ranked plan.

The math is based on a hypothetical, average 401(k) participant earning an income of $44,000 a year with a starting account balance of $40,000, and forecasts how quickly each plan gets this participant to retirement.

Kudos to secretive Greenwich, Conn.-based hedge fund firm Lone Pine Capital in the “Business and Finance” category, with the highest (by far) average 401(k) account balance for plan participants of a whopping $1,037,787—nearly seven times the average “Business and Finance” industry average 401k account balance of $148,684.