Coca-Cola vs McDonald's 401(k) match: 3.5% vs 6%
+2.5 pts
Winner on the headline number: McDonald's, at 6% of pay against Coca-Cola's 3.5%. Both filings disclose the full formula, so the two numbers compare like for like; vesting, true-up and enrollment defaults still differ line by line below.
On a $60,000 salary, that gap is worth $1,500 a year more in employer money from McDonald's.
Filings lag by design and formulas can change between them. Why filings lag
Which 401(k) match is larger, Coca-Cola or McDonald's?
McDonald's offers the larger 401(k) match: up to 6% of pay against Coca-Cola's 3.5%, per each company's SEC Form 11-K for the plan year ended December 31, 2025.
| Coca-Cola | McDonald's | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum employer matchThe most the employer adds, as a share of your pay. | 3.5% of pay | 6% of pay (the larger maximum match) |
| Match formula | 100% (dollar-for-dollar) of the first 1% of pay, then 50% of the next 5% of pay | 100% (dollar-for-dollar) of the first 6% of pay |
| Contribute to collect it allWhat you must put in to earn the full match. | 6% of pay | 6% of pay |
| Vesting of the match | Immediate: employer match is 100% vested when contributed | Immediate: employer match is 100% vested when contributed |
| Automatic enrollment | Yes, 6% default | Yes, 3% default, rises to 6% |
| True-upA year-end recalculation that repays match lost to uneven contributions. | Not stated in the filing | Yes, annual true-up |
| Plan year | Ended December 31, 2025 | Ended December 31, 2025 |
Read from each company's most recent SEC Form 11-K filing. When a filing does not disclose something, we say so instead of guessing.
Useful links
- Coca-Cola: full 401(k) plan facts
Formula, vesting, eligibility and the verbatim filing sentences.
- McDonald's: full 401(k) plan facts
Formula, vesting, eligibility and the verbatim filing sentences.
- Compare any two companies side by side
Pick your own pair from every company in the data.
More comparisons
- Coca-Cola vs PepsiCoPepsiCo by 0.5 pts
- McDonald's vs PepsiCoMcDonald's by 2 pts
The figure is the gap between the two maximum matches, in percentage points of pay.