Employer Costs for Employee Compensation News Release — 2020-06-18

Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $37.73 per hour worked in March 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries cost employers $25.91 while benefit costs were $11.82. Total compensation costs for civilian workers were $13.15 at the 10th wage percentile, $28.40 at the 50th (median) wage percentile, and $74.17 at the 90th wage percentile. (See tables A and 1.) State and local government worker compensation costs for employers averaged $52.45 per hour worked in March 2020. Wages and salaries averaged $32.62 and accounted for 62.2 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $19.82 and accounted for 37.8 percent. Total compensation costs at the 50th (median) wage percentile were $50.06. (See tables A and 1.) Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $35.34 per hour worked. * Wages and salaries averaged $24.82 per hour worked and accounted for 70.2 percent of employer costs.