Most rankings of the “best 401(k) by company” are useless because they conflate two completely different questions. An employee evaluating a plan they’re stuck with and a small business owner shopping for a provider have nothing in common, yet they land on the same articles. The match rate gets all the attention, but it’s often the least important variable. Vesting schedules, fee structures, and access to features like the mega backdoor Roth create differences worth tens of thousands of dollars per year, and almost no comparison covers them. This article breaks down what major employers actually offer inside their plan documents, not their recruiting pages. If you’re comparing job offers, running a small business, or just wondering whether your current plan is costing you money, the answer depends on details that most guides skip entirely.
Two Searches, One Keyword: The 401(k) Confusion Nobody Addresses
The phrase “401(k) by company” attracts two audiences with incompatible needs. Until you separate them, every recommendation is half-wrong.
“Best 401(k) by company” as an employee vs. as a business owner: why conflating the two ruins your decision
Search for “best 401(k) by company” and you’ll find articles ranking Meta next to Vanguard, Boeing next to ADP. The problem is obvious once you notice it: some entries are employers whose plans you can only access by working there, and others are providers who administer plans for other businesses. These are fundamentally different products aimed at fundamentally different people.
An employee cares about match generosity, vesting speed, fund expense ratios, and whether the plan allows after-tax contributions. A business owner cares about setup cost, compliance support, record-keeping fees, and integration with payroll. Mixing both in one list creates the illusion of comparison where none exists. A Starbucks barista cannot sign up for Fidelity‘s small business 401(k), and a business owner with 15 employees cannot access Boeing’s 10% match.
The confusion is not harmless. Employees waste time reading about providers they’ll never use directly, while small business owners get distracted by match rates that don’t apply to their situation. If you want to understand [how 401(k) plans actually work](/401(k) Plans: The Complete Guide to Retirement Savings), the first step is knowing which side of the table you’re sitting on.
You don’t pick your 401(k) provider, but you can pick your employer based on it
Here’s the part that most career advice ignores: your 401(k) plan is not negotiable. Unlike salary, signing bonuses, or even PTO, the retirement plan is a fixed company-wide structure. You get whatever your employer selected, with whatever funds, fees, and rules came with that decision.
But that constraint works in reverse. If you’re evaluating two job offers and one company provides a 401(k) with immediate vesting, low-cost index funds, and mega backdoor Roth access, while the other offers a 3-year cliff vesting schedule and a fund lineup full of actively managed funds charging 0.7%, the gap in total compensation over five years can exceed $50,000. That’s not a rounding error. That’s a salary difference hiding inside a benefits package.
The practical takeaway: treat the 401(k) plan as a fixed line item in your compensation analysis. You cannot change it after signing, so you need to evaluate it before.
The Match Rate Is a Marketing Number
Everyone fixates on the match percentage because it’s the one number companies put in job postings. But a match rate without context is almost meaningless.
Dollar-for-dollar on 10% vs. 200% on 4%: how to calculate the actual annual dollar value
Boeing offers a dollar-for-dollar match on the first 10% of eligible pay for non-union employees. Visa offers a 200% match on the first 5%. At first glance, Visa’s “double match” sounds more generous. On a $100,000 salary, here’s what actually happens.
Boeing: you contribute $10,000, the company adds $10,000. Total employer contribution: $10,000. Visa: you contribute $5,000, the company adds $10,000. Total employer contribution: $10,000. The dollar amounts are identical, but the required employee contribution differs by $5,000. At Boeing, you need to set aside 10% of your paycheck to capture the full match. At Visa, you only need 5%. For someone with tight cash flow, Visa’s structure is meaningfully better, even though the headline match is the same in dollar terms.
USAA’s structure adds another wrinkle: a 200% match capped at 4% of salary. On $100,000, that’s an $8,000 employer contribution if you put in $4,000. Lower ceiling, but lower required contribution. The only way to compare plans honestly is to calculate the maximum annual employer dollar contribution and the employee contribution required to unlock it. Everything else is marketing. Understanding the mechanics of [employer matching](/employer-match/401(k) Employer Match: How It Works & Maximizing It) is the baseline for this kind of analysis.
Vesting schedules that quietly erase your employer match when you leave before year 3
Immediate vesting means every dollar your employer contributes belongs to you from day one. Graded vesting means you earn ownership gradually, typically over 3 to 6 years. Cliff vesting means you own nothing until a specific date, then you own everything.
The difference matters most for people who change jobs frequently, which in tech and finance is the majority. If Visa’s employer match vests over four years and you leave after two, you walk away with roughly half of those contributions. On a $100,000 salary with a $10,000 annual employer match, that’s approximately $10,000 forfeited over a two-year tenure. The match looked generous on paper. In practice, the company kept a significant portion of it.
This is not an edge case. The median job tenure for workers aged 25 to 34 is about 2.8 years in the United States. A plan with a 4-year graded vesting schedule is, statistically, designed to claw back a portion of employer contributions from the demographic most likely to participate in it.
The companies where “immediate vesting” is the real competitive edge, not the match headline
Meta, Netflix, Uber, Starbucks, Amgen, Boeing, Comcast, and Charles Schwab all offer immediate vesting on employer match contributions. That feature alone makes these plans structurally superior to any plan with a higher match rate but a multi-year vesting schedule, at least for employees who don’t plan to stay for five or more years.
Schwab’s match is 5%. Netflix’s is 4%. Neither number is exceptional in isolation. But because both vest immediately, a two-year employee at either company walks away with 100% of those contributions. At a company offering 6% with a 3-year cliff, that same employee leaves with nothing from the employer side.
The math is straightforward but almost never presented this way in “best 401(k)” lists, because vesting doesn’t make for a compelling headline. It should. For anyone under 35 evaluating job offers, immediate vesting is the single most predictive feature of whether the match will actually end up in their retirement account.
Company-by-Company Breakdown: What the Plan Documents Actually Say
The details that matter are in the Summary Plan Description, not the benefits brochure. Here’s what you find when you read past the headline numbers.
Tech (Meta, Netflix, Uber): mega backdoor Roth access as the hidden differentiator
Meta, Netflix, and Uber all offer solid match rates: 50% of the IRS limit at Meta, 4% of pay at Netflix and Uber. All three vest immediately. But the feature that separates these plans from most competitors is the mega backdoor Roth.
Meta and Uber explicitly allow after-tax contributions with in-plan Roth conversion. This means employees can contribute beyond the standard $23,500 pre-tax/Roth limit (2025 figure) and convert those additional contributions to Roth, sheltering significantly more money from future taxation. The total 401(k) contribution ceiling including employer contributions and after-tax is $70,000 in 2025 for those under 50. The gap between a plan that caps you at $23,500 and one that lets you reach $70,000 is enormous over a career.
Netflix’s plan includes a self-directed brokerage window, which gives access to individual stocks, ETFs, and funds outside the standard plan lineup. Combined with the mega backdoor option, these tech plans are built for employees who want maximum tax-advantaged savings, not just a basic retirement account. Knowing the [contribution rules and limits](/contributions/401(k) Contributions: Limits, Rules & How Much to Save) is essential before trying to use these features.
Defense and aerospace (Boeing): student loan match and why it changes the total comp equation
Boeing’s 10% dollar-for-dollar match is already among the highest of any major employer. But the feature that genuinely changes the equation is the student loan match. Employees who are repaying student debt can receive company 401(k) contributions based on their loan payments, even if they’re not contributing to the 401(k) themselves.
This matters because it addresses the real constraint most younger employees face: they can’t afford to contribute 10% of their salary to a 401(k) while also making student loan payments. Under the traditional structure, that means they forfeit the match entirely. Boeing’s student loan match eliminates that trade-off. An employee paying $500/month toward student loans effectively receives 401(k) contributions as if they were saving for retirement, without needing to do both simultaneously.
This feature became possible after the SECURE 2.0 Act, which allowed employers to treat student loan repayments as eligible for matching contributions starting in 2024. Boeing was among the first major employers to implement it. For candidates with significant student debt, this single feature can add $10,000+ per year to their effective compensation compared to an employer without it.
Finance (Schwab, Visa, USAA): when the 401(k) provider is also the employer
Charles Schwab employees have their 401(k) managed by Schwab. Visa’s plan is administered through its own financial infrastructure. USAA’s retirement benefits serve the same military community the company targets as customers. This creates an unusual dynamic where the employer and the plan administrator share the same brand, and sometimes the same economic incentives.
The advantage is practical: Schwab employees get access to Schwab’s full platform, including managed advice at no cost, a $250 starter contribution, and a broad fund lineup with low expense ratios. Visa’s 200% match on 5% is among the most mathematically generous in any industry, and the plan includes both target-date and actively managed options alongside a brokerage window.
USAA stands apart with its 200% match on 4% and discretionary profit-sharing bonuses that vary based on employee age and tenure. The plan also includes an emergency savings account with penalty-free withdrawal options, a feature almost no other major employer offers within the 401(k) structure.
The potential downside is concentration: if your salary, benefits, and retirement savings all depend on the same company, a single corporate event affects everything. For most employees this is an acceptable risk, but it’s worth noting that the financial sector is one of the few where this overlap is structurally built in.
Consumer brands (Starbucks, Comcast, Amgen): plans designed for high-turnover vs. long-tenure workforces
Starbucks and Comcast have fundamentally different workforce profiles than Amgen, and their 401(k) plans reflect that. Starbucks requires 90 days of employment and age 18 to become eligible. Comcast has a 3-month waiting period with automatic enrollment at 2%. These design choices target workforces with high turnover by getting employees saving quickly, even if contributions are modest. You can see how [Starbucks structures its full match program](/companies/starbucks/How Much Does Starbucks Match 401(k)?) in our dedicated breakdown.
Amgen, by contrast, operates in biotech where employee tenure is longer and salaries are significantly higher. Its plan includes a 5% dollar-for-dollar match plus an automatic 5% employer contribution regardless of employee participation. That second component is rare: even employees who contribute nothing to their 401(k) receive a 5% employer contribution. On a $150,000 salary, that’s a guaranteed $7,500/year before the match even enters the picture.
Comcast allows participant loans and hardship withdrawals, features designed for a workforce that may need access to funds before retirement. Amgen’s plan includes collective trust funds and a self-directed brokerage, features that serve employees with higher balances and more sophisticated investment needs. The plan design tells you who the employer expects to retain, and for how long.
The Fees Nobody Talks About in “Best 401(k)” Lists
Match rates get compared. Fees almost never do. Yet over a 30-year career, fee differences compound into six-figure gaps that no match rate can overcome.
Revenue sharing, fund-level expense ratios, and per-participant charges: where the money leaks
Every 401(k) plan has three layers of cost. The first is the fund expense ratio, the percentage deducted from your investment returns annually. The second is administrative fees, which cover record-keeping, compliance, and plan management. The third, and least visible, is revenue sharing: arrangements where fund companies pay a portion of their expense ratios back to the plan administrator, often inflating the funds offered in the lineup.
Revenue sharing creates a perverse incentive. Plan administrators may favor higher-cost funds because those funds generate more revenue-sharing income. An employee sees a lineup of 20 funds and assumes they’re curated for quality. In reality, some may be included because they subsidize the plan’s administrative costs. This is legal and common, but it means the fund options in your plan may not represent the best available investments for your money.
Per-participant charges typically range from $30 to $60 per year in large plans but can exceed $150 in smaller plans. These fees are often deducted directly from participant accounts, reducing your balance regardless of investment performance.
Why a generous match with a 0.8% average fund expense ratio loses to a modest match with 0.03% index funds
Consider two plans. Plan A offers a 6% match but its fund lineup averages a 0.8% expense ratio. Plan B offers a 4% match with funds averaging 0.03%. On a $100,000 salary with $23,500 in annual contributions, the fee difference is roughly $180 per year on contributions alone during the first year. That sounds small. It is not.
After 20 years with a 7% gross return, the portfolio under Plan A (0.8% fees) would be worth approximately $860,000. Under Plan B (0.03% fees), approximately $1,020,000. The difference: $160,000, which dwarfs the cumulative match advantage of Plan A. The match is a one-time annual benefit. The fee is a permanent annual drag. Over long time horizons, the drag wins.
This is why plans managed by Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab tend to outperform on net returns even when the employer match is unremarkable. Low-cost index fund access is the structural advantage that compounds silently in the background.
How to find your plan’s fee disclosure (and what to do when it’s buried)
Every 401(k) plan is legally required to provide a fee disclosure notice (sometimes called a 404a-5 notice) at least annually. This document lists every fund’s expense ratio, the plan’s total administrative fees, and any individual service charges. Your employer or plan administrator must deliver it, typically by email or through the plan’s online portal.
If you’ve never seen this document, it’s not because it doesn’t exist. It’s because it often arrives as a PDF attachment buried in a benefits email, formatted in dense regulatory language, and easy to ignore. Search your email for “fee disclosure,” “participant notice,” or “404a-5.” If you still can’t find it, contact your plan administrator directly. They are legally obligated to provide it.
Once you have the document, look at two numbers: the weighted average expense ratio across the funds you’re invested in, and the total annual administrative cost per participant. If the combined cost exceeds 0.5% of your balance annually, the plan is expensive by current standards. If it exceeds 1%, it’s actively eroding your retirement savings.
Mega Backdoor Roth: The Feature That Should Be Your First Filter
This is the single highest-impact feature a 401(k) plan can offer, and it’s almost never mentioned in mainstream comparisons.
Which major employers actually allow after-tax contributions with in-plan conversion
The mega backdoor Roth works by allowing employees to make after-tax contributions to their 401(k) beyond the standard pre-tax/Roth limit, then converting those contributions to a Roth account either within the plan or by rolling them to a Roth IRA. Not every plan permits this. The plan document must explicitly allow both after-tax contributions and either in-plan Roth conversions or in-service distributions.
Among major employers, Meta and Uber are confirmed to offer this feature. Both use Fidelity as their plan administrator, which supports the mechanics natively. Boeing’s plan structure also supports after-tax contributions, though the conversion pathway depends on plan-specific rules. Many large tech and finance employers offer it, but the information is rarely publicized because companies don’t market it in job listings.
The simplest way to check: log into your plan’s website and look at the [contribution types](/contributions/401(k) Contributions: Limits, Rules & How Much to Save) available. If you see a separate “after-tax” option distinct from “Roth,” the plan likely supports the first half of the strategy. Then call the plan administrator and ask explicitly whether in-plan Roth conversions are permitted.
The $46,000+ gap between a plan with this feature and one without over a single year
In 2025, the standard employee contribution limit is $23,500. The total 401(k) limit, including employer contributions and after-tax, is $70,000 (under 50). That means a plan with mega backdoor Roth access allows you to shelter up to $46,500 more per year in tax-advantaged accounts than a plan without it.
On $46,500 of additional Roth contributions per year, assuming a 7% annual return over 20 years, the extra tax-free growth amounts to approximately $2 million. Even over 10 years, it’s roughly $650,000 in additional tax-sheltered assets. No match rate, no vesting schedule, no fund selection comes close to producing this kind of differential.
This feature disproportionately benefits high earners who are already maxing out the standard limit, which is exactly the population that “best 401(k)” lists tend to address without ever mentioning the one feature that matters most to them. If you earn over $150,000 and your plan doesn’t offer mega backdoor Roth access, you’re leaving the most powerful tax strategy on the table every single year.
Why most “best 401(k)” rankings ignore the highest-impact feature for high earners
The answer is simple: mega backdoor Roth is hard to explain in a listicle. It requires understanding the difference between pre-tax, Roth, and after-tax contributions, the total annual 401(k) ceiling, and the conversion mechanics. Most “best 401(k)” articles are written for a broad audience and ranked by match rate because match rate fits in a comparison table.
This creates a systematic blind spot. An article that ranks Costco’s plan (see [how much Costco matches](/companies/costco/How Much Does Costco Match 401(k)?)) above Meta’s because the match percentage is slightly higher is technically accurate on that one metric while being deeply misleading on total retirement impact. The employee at Meta who uses the mega backdoor Roth will accumulate tax-advantaged wealth at a rate that no match rate can replicate.
The takeaway for anyone earning enough to max out standard contributions: filter your job search by mega backdoor Roth availability first, match rate second. The gap is not close.
Using 401(k) Quality as a Job Offer Negotiation Lever
Most candidates compare base salary, bonus, and equity. Almost none calculate the retirement plan’s actual dollar value. That’s a blind spot worth fixing.
How to model the real dollar difference between two employers’ plans over 5 and 10 years
Start with four inputs: annual employer match in dollars, vesting schedule, average fund expense ratio, and mega backdoor Roth availability. Multiply the annual match by the vesting percentage at your expected tenure. Subtract the annual fee drag from projected investment returns. Add the additional tax-advantaged savings if mega backdoor Roth is available.
For a concrete example: Employer A offers $120,000 salary, 4% match with immediate vesting, 0.05% average fund fees, and mega backdoor Roth. Employer B offers $130,000 salary, 6% match with 4-year graded vesting, 0.6% average fund fees, and no after-tax contributions. Over 5 years at a 7% gross return, Employer A’s plan delivers approximately $38,000 more in net retirement value despite the lower salary. Over 10 years, the gap widens to approximately $120,000. The details behind [401(k) basics](/basics/401(k) Basics: How It Works, Types & Key Terms) are essential to run these numbers correctly.
When a lower salary with a stronger 401(k) beats a higher salary with a weak plan
The crossover point depends on the fee differential and mega backdoor access more than the match rate. A $10,000 salary difference sounds decisive. But if the lower-paying employer’s plan allows you to shelter an extra $46,500/year in Roth-converted funds with 0.03% expense ratios, while the higher-paying employer caps you at $23,500 with 0.7% fees, the tax savings and compounding advantage erase the salary gap within 3 to 5 years.
This calculation matters most for employees earning above $150,000, where the marginal tax rate on additional income is high enough that Roth conversion benefits become substantial. For employees earning below $80,000, the salary difference almost always dominates because the mega backdoor strategy requires cash flow to fund after-tax contributions. At lower income levels, the match rate and vesting schedule are the deciding factors.
Major employers like [Amazon](/companies/amazon/How Much Does Amazon Match 401(k)?), [Walmart](/companies/walmart/How Much Does Walmart Match 401(k)?), and [UPS](/companies/ups/How Much Does UPS Match 401(k)?) all have different plan structures, and comparing them purely on match percentage misses the variables that compound over time.
The questions to ask HR before accepting an offer that no candidate ever asks
Most candidates ask about the match rate and stop. Here are the questions that actually reveal plan quality. First: “Does the plan allow after-tax contributions with in-plan Roth conversions?” This is the mega backdoor question. If HR doesn’t know the answer, ask for the Summary Plan Description. Second: “What is the weighted average expense ratio of the plan’s fund lineup?” If they can’t answer, ask which administrator runs the plan: Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab-administered plans tend to have lower costs. Third: “What is the vesting schedule for employer contributions?” If it’s anything other than immediate, calculate what you’d actually keep at your expected tenure.
Fourth, and the one that reveals the most: “Can I see the most recent 404a-5 fee disclosure?” A company that can produce this document quickly has a plan they’re not embarrassed by. A company that stalls or redirects you to a generic benefits page is telling you something about the plan’s fee structure without saying a word.
Small Business Owners: Choosing a Provider Is a Completely Different Problem
If you run a business and want to offer a 401(k), you’re not evaluating employer generosity. You’re evaluating service providers, and the criteria are entirely different.
Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab: what actually separates them beyond brand loyalty
All three offer low-cost index funds. All three have strong reputations. The real differences are operational. Fidelity provides the broadest service integration: checking accounts, HSAs, solo 401(k)s, and brokerage all under one roof. Their small business support is strong for companies with 20+ employees but less suited for very small operations. Schwab’s Index Advantage plan is specifically designed for small businesses, with a fully managed structure that reduces the plan sponsor’s administrative burden. Vanguard Retirement Plan Access offers the lowest fund costs on average but requires working through an intermediary for setup and ongoing management, which adds friction.
For businesses under 10 employees, none of the three is clearly optimal. Employee Fiduciary, a firm that exclusively serves small businesses, offers transparent pricing and lower administrative costs than all three major providers. The trade-off is a smaller technology platform and less brand recognition, which matters to employees who want to log into a name they trust.
The hidden cost of “free” setup: record-keeping fees, compliance burden, and fiduciary liability
Several providers advertise free plan setup. The cost isn’t eliminated; it’s relocated. Record-keeping fees, which cover annual compliance testing, participant statements, and IRS filings, typically run $1,000 to $3,000 per year for plans with fewer than 50 participants. Some providers bundle these into higher fund expense ratios instead of charging them separately, which makes the plan appear cheaper while costing participants more.
Fiduciary liability is the cost no one talks about until something goes wrong. As a plan sponsor, you are legally responsible for ensuring the plan operates in participants’ best interests. That includes selecting and monitoring investment options, ensuring fees are reasonable, and filing required disclosures. Outsourcing to a 3(38) fiduciary shifts some of this liability to the provider, but it costs extra, typically 0.1% to 0.3% of plan assets annually.
Ignoring compliance isn’t a realistic option either. The IRS penalty for late Form 5500 filing starts at $250 per day, capped at $150,000. Missing annual nondiscrimination testing can trigger corrective distributions that cost both the business and employees.
Solo 401(k) vs. SEP IRA vs. SIMPLE IRA: the decision tree most providers won’t give you because it might send you elsewhere
If you’re self-employed or have no employees other than a spouse, a solo 401(k) is almost always the correct choice. It allows both employee contributions (up to $23,500 in 2025) and employer contributions (up to 25% of net self-employment income), with a combined ceiling of $70,000. It also permits Roth contributions and, at some providers like eTrade, access to a full brokerage account.
A SEP IRA is simpler to set up and has no annual filing requirements below $250,000 in assets. But it only allows employer contributions (no employee salary deferrals), and if you have employees, you must contribute the same percentage for everyone. This makes it expensive to scale and inflexible for business owners who want to maximize personal contributions.
A SIMPLE IRA splits the difference: lower contribution limits ($16,500 employee, plus a 3% match or 2% nonelective employer contribution), but easier administration than a solo 401(k). It’s often the default recommendation from payroll companies because it integrates smoothly with their systems. It is rarely the best option for the business owner’s personal retirement savings.
Most providers won’t walk you through this comparison honestly because they earn fees on whichever product you choose, and some products generate more revenue than others. The solo 401(k) at Vanguard or Schwab with low-cost index funds is the highest-value option for the majority of self-employed individuals, but it’s also the option that generates the least provider revenue.
FAQ
What is the maximum amount I can contribute to my 401(k) in 2025?
The standard employee contribution limit for 2025 is $23,500 for those under 50 and $31,000 for those 50 and older, thanks to the $7,500 catch-up provision. The total contribution limit, including employer match and after-tax contributions, is $70,000 for those under 50 and $77,500 for those 50+. These limits apply across all 401(k) accounts if you work multiple jobs. If your plan allows after-tax contributions and in-plan Roth conversion, you can use the full $70,000 ceiling to maximize tax-advantaged savings through the mega backdoor Roth strategy.
Can I have a 401(k) and an IRA at the same time?
Yes, and in most cases you should. A 401(k) and an IRA are separate account types with independent contribution limits. You can contribute $23,500 to your 401(k) and an additional $7,000 to a traditional or Roth IRA in 2025 ($8,000 if 50+). However, the tax deductibility of traditional IRA contributions phases out at higher incomes if you’re covered by a workplace plan. Roth IRA contributions also phase out above certain income thresholds, which is one reason the mega backdoor Roth through a 401(k) becomes valuable for high earners who exceed Roth IRA eligibility.
What happens to my 401(k) if I leave my job?
You have four options. You can leave the money in your former employer‘s plan if the balance exceeds $7,000 (plans can force distribution of smaller balances). You can roll it into your new employer’s plan, which preserves tax-deferred status and may give you access to better funds. You can roll it into a traditional IRA, which typically offers the widest investment selection and lowest fees. Or you can cash it out, which triggers income tax plus a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you’re under 59½. The only scenario where cashing out makes mathematical sense is extreme financial hardship. Rolling to an IRA at Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard is the default recommendation for most people.
How do I know if my employer’s 401(k) plan has high fees?
Request the annual 404a-5 fee disclosure from your plan administrator. Look at the expense ratio for each fund you’re invested in and calculate a weighted average. If the average exceeds 0.5%, your plan is above the current market standard. Plans administered by Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab typically offer index funds with expense ratios between 0.01% and 0.05%. If your plan only offers actively managed funds with expense ratios above 0.7%, the fee drag will cost you six figures over a 30-year career regardless of your employer’s match rate.
Do all employers offer a 401(k) match?
No. There is no legal requirement for employers to match contributions. Roughly 40% of employers that offer a 401(k) plan do not provide any matching contribution. Among those that do match, the median is approximately 3% to 6% of eligible pay. Some employers instead offer nonelective contributions, like Amgen’s automatic 5% employer contribution, which is deposited regardless of whether the employee contributes anything. If your employer does not match, contributing enough to capture any available tax benefit is still worthwhile, but you may want to prioritize a Roth IRA or HSA before maxing out an unmatched 401(k) with high fees.