Employer Costs for Employee Compensation News Release — 2019-12-18

State and local government compensation averaged $51.66 per hour worked in September 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries averaged $32.19 per hour worked and represented 62.3 percent of total compensation costs, while benefit costs averaged $19.47 and accounted for the remaining 37.7 percent. (See tables 1 and 3.) Among state and local government occupational groups, total compensation costs ranged from $35.85 per hour worked for sales and office to $62.08 for management, professional, and related occupations. Among industry groups, total compensation costs were $54.10 per hour worked in the education and health services industry and $49.71 in public administration. (See table 3.) State and local government wages and salaries ranged from $20.68 per hour worked for sales and office to $40.06 for management, professional, and related occupations. Wages and salaries accounted for 57.7 percent of total compensation for sales and office and 64.5 percent in management, professional, and related occupations.