Defined Benefit (Pension) · DOL Form 5500 · 2023
Merck & Co., Inc. Pension Plan
Data updated 2026-08-25
- $617M
- Total assets Above avg plan size
- 2,937
- Participants Above avg headcount
- 98th
- Percentile by assets National rank
- $210,130
- Avg per participant Above avg balance/head
Official DOL plan name: Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd · Sponsored by Merck & Co., Inc. · New Jersey · Manufacturing
$617M in assets, 2,937 participants
Merck & Co., Inc.'s Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd reported $617M in total assets and 2,937 participants in its 2023 DOL Form 5500 filing, ranking in the 98th 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.
- #18,054 in Manufacturing (18,722 peers)
Coverage in New Jersey
Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd covers 2,937 participants in New Jersey, 3.5x the typical New Jersey plan (state average ~844 per filing). Assets: $617M.
- #18,054
- in Manufacturing (18,722 peers)
- -8.2%
- assets change YoY
- 6.2×
- vs typical plan assets (national mean)
The plan reported a net loss of $55M for the year, a single-year figure driven by markets and benefit payments, not a measure of plan health.
Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd's outsized position by total assets
Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd vs every filed plan by assets
End-of-year total assets · plan year 2023 · DOL Form 5500
$617,152,363 Top 2% higher than 98% of 127,068 filed plans
Dashed line + filled bar = this entry, among filed plans.
Source U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 filings (EBSA) · plan year 2023
Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd's large-plan peer group by participant headcount
Plan-year 2023 Form 5500 filings with a reported participant count, partitioned by headcount band, not by assets. Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd lands in the large band (2,937 participants).
What changed between DOL Form 5500 filings
plan year 2022 → plan year 2023
- Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd reported net income rose from -$321M in the plan year 2022 filing to -$55M in the plan year 2023 filing.
- Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd end-of-year assets fell from $673M in the plan year 2022 filing to $617M in the plan year 2023 filing.
- Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd reported participants fell from 3,186 in the plan year 2022 filing to 2,937 in the plan year 2023 filing.
Form 5500 schedule snapshot
Filing strip 221918501 · Merck & Co., Inc. PY 2023 · Defined Benefit (Pension)
Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd · $617M · 2,937 · 98th
- EBSA $617M
- EBSA 2,937
- EBSA 98th
- EBSA Defined Benefit (Pension)
- EBSA near Shelter Insurance Employees Retirement Plan
- EBSA ind #18054
Stamps derive from this plan's Form 5500 line items (assets, participants, type, EIN, cohort placement) - not a quality rating of the sponsor. Read with Manufacturing retirement plans → · Plans in New Jersey →
Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd in the asset neighbourhood
New Jersey filing particulars
| Total Assets (Beginning of Year) | $673M |
|---|---|
| Net Assets (End of Year) | $617M |
| Net Income | -$55M |
| Employer EIN | 221918501 |
| Plan Effective Date | 1956-07-01 |
| Filing Status | FILING RECEIVED |
Sponsor Plan History (Merck & Co., Inc.)
Sponsor-wide plan assets over time
All Merck & Co., Inc. plans reported in each filing year
- Latest sponsor-wide plan assets
- $26.3B 18.13047230036898% vs 2022
- 2024 filing year
| Year | Plans | Participants | Total Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4 | 55,803 | $22.2B |
| 2023 | 4 | 57,497 | $24.8B |
| 2024 | 4 | 59,874 | $26.3B |
Nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) Plans in New Jersey
Peer Defined Benefit (Pension) plans, same state, same plan type, ranked by total assets.
- Retirement Plan of Johnson and Johnson $21.2B · 37,749
- JPMorgan Chase Retirement Plan $16.3B · 90,644
- Nokia Retirement Income Plan $13.9B · 7,492
- The Prudential Merged Retirement Plan $12.2B · 16,230
- Verizon Pension Plan for Associates $10.9B · 23,778
Retirement Plan for the Hourly Employees of Msd's out-of-state Defined Benefit (Pension) peers by assets and headcount
Outside New Jersey, the nearest Defined Benefit (Pension) by assets is Shelter Insurance Employees Retirement Plan in MO ($616M); by covered participants it is Retirement Plan for Great Dane LLC in IL (2,940 participants). Same-state nearby plans are listed separately above.
Closest by plan assets
Nearest other-state filings by tot_assets_eoy ($617M here).
- Shelter Insurance Employees Retirement Plan (MO) $616M · 1,692
- Sandvik Pension Plan (NC) $618M · 431
- General Dynamics Retirement Plan (Land Systems) (VA) $615M · 1,096
- Permanente Physicians Retirement Plan for Cpmg (CA) $619M · 861
Similar participant headcount
Nearest other-state filings by covered participants (2,937 participants); asset peers above are excluded.
- Retirement Plan for Great Dane LLC (IL) 2,940 · 3 off
- Carpenters Labor-Management Pension Plan (TN) 2,942 · 5 off
- Kellanova Pension Plan (IL) 2,924 · 13 off
- Indiana Carpenters Pension Fund (MI) 2,955 · 18 off
DOL Form 5500 plan year 2023. Asset totals can differ widely at the same headcount; neither axis is a quality rating.