Northrop Grumman Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Northrop Grumman Savings Plan
Falls Church, VAManufacturing102,259 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,390Employer $ per active participant
$13,768Employee $ saved per active participant
0.03%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$39.5BNet plan assets, end of year
$259,950Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity30.3 / 5061th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.7 / 2583th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.8 / 1579th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score73 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 10,000+ active participants (151 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 61th |
| Lower admin cost | 83th |
| Employee saving | 79th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 69% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Northrop Grumman put in about $6,390 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 | $653,387,916 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $1,407,877,875 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $128,093,924 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $11,661,911 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $5,633,561 |
| Other admin expenses | $1,482,624 |
| Benefits paid out | $3,436,919,516 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $36.2B / $39.5B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 104,719 / 99,799 |
| Participants with account balances | 151,821 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Deloitte & Touche LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $5,633,561 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $3,835,087 reported compensation |
| State Street Bank and Trust Company | $480,647 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250616134513NAL0000999633005, received 2025-06-16, EIN 80-0640649, plan #011, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.