Employer Costs for Employee Compensation News Release - 2023 Q03 Results — 2023-12-15

Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $43.93 per hour worked in September 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries averaged $30.35, while benefit costs averaged $13.58. (See tables 1 and 2.) Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $41.53 per hour worked in September 2023. Wages and salaries averaged $29.34 per hour worked and accounted for 70.6 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $12.19 per hour worked and accounted for the remaining 29.4 percent. (See tables 1 and 4.) Total employer compensation costs for state and local government workers averaged $59.90 per hour worked in September 2023. Wages and salaries averaged $37.09 and accounted for 61.9 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $22.81 and accounted for 38.1 percent.