Apple Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Apple 401(k) Plan
Cupertino, CAManufacturing101,334 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$7,241Employer $ per active participant
$14,452Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$24.7BNet plan assets, end of year
$171,765Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity34.3 / 5069th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.4 / 2582th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.2 / 1581th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score74 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 69th |
| Lower admin cost | 82th |
| Employee saving | 81th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $10,770 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Apple put in about $7,241 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($5,480). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $733,748,273 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,464,448,926 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $281,896,692 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $7,357,584 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $6,241,456 |
| Other admin expenses | $50,112 |
| Benefits paid out | $1,010,530,906 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $19.8B / $24.7B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 101,450 / 101,217 |
| Participants with account balances | 143,849 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Ernst & Young LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| William Blair Investment Mgmt | $2,561,538 reported compensation |
| Financial Engines | $1,929,300 reported compensation |
| Barrow, Hanely, Mewhinney & Straus | $1,521,364 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250917213639NAL0000924912001, received 2025-09-17, EIN 94-2404110, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.
Get notified when Apple's next filing posts
The most generous employers, the worst red flags, and plain-English 401(k) tips. One email a month.