Let's break down the steps to solve the problem:
1. Calculate the employee's investment amount:
The employee invests 5% of their pre-tax salary into the retirement plan. If their pre-tax salary is [tex]$50,000, you can calculate the investment amount as follows:
\[
\text{Employee Investment Amount} = 50000 \times 0.05 = 2500
\]
2. Calculate the company's contribution:
The company's contribution is 25% of the employee's investment amount. Given that the employee's investment amount is $[/tex]2500, the company's contribution can be calculated as:
[tex]\[
\text{Company Contribution} = 2500 \times 0.25 = 625
\][/tex]
Hence, the amount that the company will contribute to the retirement plan is [tex]\( \boxed{625} \)[/tex].
So the correct answer is:
C. $625
