401(k) · DOL Form 5500 · 2022

Costco Wholesale Corporation 401(k) Plan

Data updated 2026-08-11

$25.9B
Total assets
181,505
Participants
100th
Percentile by assets
$142,767
Avg per participant
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Official DOL plan name: Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan · Sponsored by Costco Wholesale Corporation · Washington · Retail Trade

$25.9B in assets, 181,505 participants

Costco Wholesale Corporation's Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan reported $25.9B in total assets and 181,505 participants in its 2022 DOL Form 5500 filing, ranking in the 100th percentile by assets among filed plans. Figures are as reported by the plan sponsor to the Department of Labor, not audited or endorsed by PlainRetire.

  • 100th percentile by assets (of 139,126 plans)
  • #9,518 in Retail Trade (9,519 peers)

Coverage in Washington

Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan covers 181,505 participants in Washington, 123x the typical Washington plan (state average ~1,476 per filing). Assets: $25.9B.

$25.9B
total plan assets (2022 EOY)
181,505
covered participants
100th
percentile by assets (of 139,126 plans)
$142,767
avg assets per participant

The plan reported a net loss of $5.5B for the year, a single-year figure driven by markets and benefit payments, not a measure of plan health.

State
Industry

Participants vs Washington filers

In Washington, the average filing covers about 1,476 participants across 2,612 plans. Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan reports 181,505 participants - 123x that state average ($25.9B EOY assets).

Washington filing particulars

Total Assets (Beginning of Year)$31.4B
Net Assets (End of Year)$25.9B
Net Income-$5.5B
Employer EIN911223280
Plan Effective Date1995-01-01
Filing StatusFILING RECEIVED

Sponsor Plan History (Costco Wholesale Corporation)

$20B$25B$30B$35B$40B$45B 202220232024 $26B $41.1B ▲ +58.2%
Total plan assets by year, all Costco Wholesale Corporation plans on file
Year Plans Participants Total Assets
2022 2 183,100 $26.0B
2023 2 194,292 $33.5B
2024 2 203,973 $41.1B

Nearby 401(k) Plans in Washington

Peer 401(k) plans, same state, same plan type, ranked by total assets.

Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan vs. nearby 401(k) plans in Washington, assets vs. participants

Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan vs. nearby 401(k) plans in Washington, assets vs. participants Scatter plot of 6 data points. 050000010000001500000 020406080 Total assets ($B) Participants Costco 401(k) Retire…The Boeing Company 4…Microsoft Corporatio…Amazon 401(k) PlanT-Mobile USA, Inc. 4…401(k) Savings Plan
Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan vs. nearby 401(k) plans in Washington, assets vs. participants

Scale composition for Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan

Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan reports $25.9B in end-of-year assets across 181,505 participants (0.21% of the $12.3T held by all Form 5500 filers in the national rollup , and 0.19% of 93,925,755 covered participants) - about $142,767 per participant (1.0x the national average assets-per-participant) . Net income for plan year 2022 was -$5.5B.

This plan identity (EIN 911223280, plan #002) has 3 Form 5500 filings on file from 2022 to 2024 , with end-of-year assets moving from $25.9B to $41.0B (+58.3%) while covered participants moved from 181,505 to 202,468 . Single-year sparse filers cannot show that trail.

Plan year Participants EOY assets Filing
2022 181,505 $25.9B This page
2023 192,744 $33.4B Open filing
2024 · index core 202,468 $41.0B Open filing

The same sponsor also keeps 2 other index-core plans on PlainRetire:

Similar-Sized 401(k) Plans Nationally

401(k) plans in other states closest to Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan by total assets, not by location.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan assets move in 2022?
Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan declined sharply - down 17.4% during 2022, from $31.4B to $25.9B. Reported net income was -$5.5B.
How have Costco Wholesale Corporation plan assets changed over time?
Across 3 plan years on file (2022-2024), Costco Wholesale Corporation's sponsor-wide assets grew 58.3%, from $26.0B to $41.1B.
Where does Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan rank by assets among Form 5500 filers?
Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan ranks in the 100th percentile by end-of-year assets among 139,126 plans that reported assets for plan year 2022 (among the largest 1% of all filed plans).
Which 401(k) plans are similar in size to Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan?
Among 401(k) plans in other states, the closest by assets is Verizon Savings Plan for Management Employees in NJ ($25.2B, 76,788 participants).

Next read for Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan

Filing takeaways

Ways to act on Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan's numbers.

  • By total assets, Costco 401(k) Retirement Plan ranks among the largest 1% of all filed plans. See the largest plans
  • Compare it side-by-side against 3 similar 401(k) plans in Washington. Compare plans
  • Costco Wholesale Corporation's sponsor-wide assets have grown 58.3% since 2022 across 3 plan years on file. More Retail Trade plans