Starbucks Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Starbucks Corporation 401(k) Plan
Seattle, WARetail Trade225,928 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$813Employer $ per active participant
$1,501Employee $ saved per active participant
0.08%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$4.9BNet plan assets, end of year
$29,852Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity30.1 / 5060th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost13.3 / 2553th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.6 / 1544th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score50 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 60th |
| Lower admin cost | 53th |
| Employee saving | 44th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $46,472 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Starbucks put in about $813 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($689). 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.
- 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 | $183,628,891 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $339,046,563 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $24,585,790 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $3,620,139 |
| Contract administrator fees | $10,800 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $962,966 |
| Benefits paid out | $357,138,706 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $4.1B / $4.9B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 231,064 / 220,791 |
| Participants with account balances | 163,838 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Grant Thornton |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $2,657,173 reported compensation |
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $962,966 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250819115333NAL0002267921001, received 2025-08-19, EIN 91-1325671, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.
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