Employer Costs for Employee Compensation News Release — 2021-06-17

Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $39.01 per hour worked in March 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries cost employers $26.84 while benefit costs were $12.18. Total compensation costs for civilian workers were $14.10 at the 10th wage percentile, $29.36 at the 50th (median) wage percentile, and $75.88 at the 90th wage percentile. (See tables A and 1.) State and local government worker compensation costs for employers averaged $53.68 per hour worked in March 2021. Wages and salaries averaged $33.20 and accounted for 61.9 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $20.47 and accounted for 38.1 percent. Total compensation costs for state and local government workers at the 50th (median) wage percentile were $50.21. (See tables A and 1.) Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $36.64 per hour worked. Wages and salaries averaged $25.80 per hour worked and accounted for 70.4 percent of employer costs.