Employer Costs for Employee Compensation News Release - 2025 Q04 Results — 2026-03-20

Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $48.78 per hour worked in December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries averaged $33.45, while benefit costs averaged $15.33. (See tables 1 and 2.) Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $46.15 per hour worked in December 2025. Wages and salaries averaged $32.36 per hour worked and accounted for 70.1 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $13.79 per hour worked and accounted for the remaining 29.9 percent. (See tables 1 and 4.) Total employer compensation costs for state and local government workers averaged $65.68 per hour worked in December 2025. Wages and salaries averaged $40.49 per hour worked and accounted for 61.7 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $25.19 per hour worked and accounted for the remaining 38.3 percent.