Employer Costs for Employee Compensation News Release - 2023 Q01 Results — 2023-06-16

Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $43.07 per hour worked in March 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries cost employers $29.70 while benefit costs were $13.36. Total compensation costs for civilian workers were $16.54 at the 10th wage percentile, $32.80 at the 50th (median) wage percentile, and $82.96 at the 90th wage percentile. (See tables A and 1.) Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $40.79 per hour worked in March 2023. Wages and salaries averaged $28.76 per hour worked and accounted for 70.5 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $12.02 per hour worked and accounted for the remaining 29.5 percent. Total compensation costs for private industry workers were $15.91 at the 10th wage percentile, $30.26 at the 50th (median) wage percentile, and $78.42 at the 90th wage percentile.