Employer Costs for Employee Compensation News Release — 2019-06-18

Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $36.77 per hour worked in March 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries cost employers $25.22 while benefit costs were $11.55. Total compensation costs for civilian workers were $12.71 at the 10th wage percentile, $27.87 at the 50th (median) wage percentile, and $72.62 at the 90th wage percentile. (See tables A and 1.) State and local government worker compensation costs for employers averaged $50.89 per hour worked in March 2019. Wages and salaries averaged $31.75 and accounted for 62.4 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $19.14 and accounted for 37.6 percent. Total compensation costs at the 50th (median) wage percentile were $47.99. (See tables A and 1.) Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $34.49 per hour worked ($25.21 at the 50th or median wage percentile).