Employee benefit plan audit fees in California

921 audited retirement plans sponsored by California employers reported their audit fee for plan year 2024. Median $19,100, middle half $13,000 to $29,300, same plan and same auditor +3.8 % on the year before.

Read this first: Schedule H shows the audit fee only when the plan pays the auditor. Plans whose sponsor pays the audit fee directly are not included, and for single-employer 401(k) plans that is most of them (only 8% of audited 401(k) plans with 200-499 participants report a fee). The figures describe the plans that report a fee; treat them as a market reference, not as a quote.

California · plan year 2024

Audit fee by plan type and size

Rows marked with a region or "nationwide" have fewer than 20 reported fees in California; the figure shown is the West region or the national value.

Plan type	Participants	Median	Middle half	Fees	Basis
401(k)	100-199	$12,100	$8,500-$16,200	100	California
401(k)	200-499	$15,000	$10,100-$20,000	176	California
401(k)	500-999	$15,500	$12,300-$21,600	107	California
401(k)	1,000+	$21,200	$15,000-$32,700	216	California
Other DC	100-199	$13,500	$10,600-$21,100	23	West region
Other DC	200-499	$13,600	$9,600-$19,500	38	West region
Other DC	500-999	$19,300	$14,300-$21,700	25	West region
Other DC	1,000+	$18,200	$14,400-$22,300	32	California
DB	100-199	$19,700	$13,200-$28,700	27	West region
DB	200-499	$20,100	$13,200-$28,300	39	West region
DB	500-999	$23,800	$17,000-$30,200	32	West region
DB	1,000+	$36,100	$22,400-$57,000	42	California
Multiemployer	100-199	$15,300	$11,200-$18,900	86	nationwide
Multiemployer	200-499	$16,900	$14,200-$22,700	22	West region
Multiemployer	500-999	$21,200	$14,800-$26,400	42	West region
Multiemployer	1,000+	$32,400	$24,500-$49,300	134	California

Reported only when the plan pays the auditor; plans whose sponsor pays the audit fee directly are not included. Most single-employer 401(k) sponsors pay directly, so the figures describe the plans that report a fee. Method and national figures.

Audit firms in California: see the California plans likely to need their first audit, with the typical fee range next to every plan in the subscriber list. Free state sample · prices.

Other states: Arizona · Colorado · Connecticut · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Indiana · Kansas · Kentucky · Massachusetts · Maryland · Michigan · Minnesota · Missouri · North Carolina · New Jersey · New York · Ohio · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Virginia · Washington · Wisconsin