Total employee compensation costs average almost $40 per hour

Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $39.01 per hour worked in March 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 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.

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% of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $20.47 and accounted for 38.1%. Total compensation costs for state and local government workers at the 50th (median) wage percentile were $50.21.

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% of employer costs. Benefit costs averaged $10.83 per hour worked and accounted for the remaining 29.6%. Median (50th wage percentile) employer costs per employee hour worked were $26.88 for total compensation, $18.91 for wages and salaries, and $7.97 for benefits.

Total compensation costs for private industry workers ranged from $13.46 per hour worked at the 10th wage percentile to $71.99 at the 90th wage percentile. Wages and salaries were $10.94 per hour worked at the 10th wage percentile and $48.92 at the 90th wage percentile. Total benefit costs ranged from $2.52 per hour worked at the 10th wage percentile to $23.07 at the 90th wage percentile.

The highest cost per industry category was $73.12 for management, business and financial, and the lowest was $20.94 for the service sector. The average for all state and local government workers was $53.68. All workers covered by unions had total compensation costs of $50.73, with the total being $35.46 for non-union.