401(k) plan audits in Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh sponsors filed 2,332 401(k) plans for the 2024 plan year, the 28th most of any US city and 8% of all 401(k) plans in Pennsylvania. 240 of them started the year with 100 or more participants with an account balance, which means their Form 5500 needed an independent audit.
How many Pittsburgh 401(k) plans need an audit?
240 of 2,332. 48% of those have fewer than 250 participants with a balance:
| Participants with a balance | Pittsburgh plans |
|---|---|
| 100 to 249 | 115 |
| 250 to 499 | 47 |
| 500 to 999 | 27 |
| 1,000 or more | 51 |
Another 14 Pittsburgh plans filed as small plans but ended 2024 with 100 or more participants with a balance, so their next filing is likely to need a first audit. Check your own plan’s filing, or read how the count works.
What do audited Pittsburgh plans report?
20% of the 219 audited Pittsburgh 401(k) plans that answered the question reported employee contributions reaching the plan late on Schedule H. Late deposits are one of the things an auditor tests; what else a first auditor looks at.
On fees: Pennsylvania plans that paid their audit from plan assets reported a median of $16,300 in 2024, and half paid between $10,500 and $25,000, across 421 filings. Plans that pay from company funds report no fee, so this is the going rate among plans that pay from the plan. The full fee index.
Which Department of Labor office oversees Pittsburgh plans?
The Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Philadelphia Regional Office lists Pennsylvania among the states it serves: 1835 Market St., 21st Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 861-5300.
Can a CPA firm from outside Pennsylvania audit your plan?
Yes. ERISA accepts an auditor licensed as a certified public accountant by any state, and most states let CPAs licensed elsewhere practice there under mobility rules.
To check a CPA or firm, use the directory of state boards of accountancy.
Working with Ledgerline from Pittsburgh
Ledgerline audits 401(k) and 403(b) plans and is booking engagements for the coming season, starting December 2026. The work runs through a secure portal, so your team, your TPA and your recordkeeper each upload only their own items. We have CPAs across the US, so if you would rather meet in person in Pittsburgh, or need any part of the work done on site, we can do that.
Frequently asked questions
Does my Pittsburgh 401(k) plan need an audit?
It does if it had 100 or more participants with an account balance on the first day of the plan year. For the 2024 plan year, 240 of the 2,332 401(k) plans sponsored from a Pittsburgh address were over that line.
How much does a 401(k) audit cost in Pennsylvania?
In 2024 Form 5500 filings, the median audit fee paid by Pennsylvania plans from plan assets was $16,300, and half paid between $10,500 and $25,000. Many sponsors pay their auditor from company funds instead, and those fees do not appear in the filings.
Can a CPA firm from outside Pennsylvania audit a Pittsburgh 401(k) plan?
ERISA accepts an auditor licensed by any state, and most states let CPAs licensed elsewhere practice under mobility rules. Pennsylvania's board of accountancy sets any conditions for out-of-state firms.
See where your plan stands from its own filing, or book a short call to talk through what an audit would involve.
Other cities
- DOL: Form 5500 datasets, 2024 plan year (Form 5500, Form 5500-SF and Schedule H). 401(k) plans (feature code 2J) in the DOL's 2024 Form 5500 and 5500-SF datasets, one record per plan, grouped by the sponsor's mailing city as filed.
- DOL: Philadelphia Regional Office
- ERISA section 103(a)(3)(D), definition of qualified public accountant