Employer Costs for Employee Compensation Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, March 13, 2024					    USDL-24-0485

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                       EMPLOYER COSTS FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION - DECEMBER 2023
                       
Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $45.42 per hour worked in 
December 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries averaged 
$31.29, while benefit costs averaged $14.13. (See tables 1 and 2.) 

Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $43.11 per hour worked in 
December 2023. Wages and salaries averaged $30.33 per hour worked and accounted for 70.4 percent of 
employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $12.77 per hour worked and accounted for the remaining 
29.6 percent. (See tables 1 and 4.)

Total employer compensation costs for state and local government workers averaged $60.56 per hour worked 
in December 2023. Wages and salaries averaged $37.53 and accounted for 62.0 percent of employer costs, 
while benefit costs averaged $23.03 and accounted for 38.0 percent. (See tables 1 and 3.)

Wage and salary costs for private industry workers in goods-producing industries averaged $30.31 per 
hour worked. Wage and salary costs for private industry workers in service-providing industries averaged 
$30.34. Benefit costs averaged $14.44 in goods-producing industries and $12.44 in service-providing 
industries. Employer costs for employee paid leave components include costs for vacation, holiday, sick, 
and personal leave. Paid leave costs averaged $2.82 in goods-producing industries and $3.34 in 
service-providing industries. (See table 4.)

Private industry compensation costs 
Among service-providing industries, compensation costs averaged $46.28 for the education and health 
services industry sector. Wage and salary costs averaged $32.71 and accounted for 70.7 percent of 
total compensation. Benefit costs averaged $13.57 and accounted for 29.3 percent of total 
compensation. (See table 4.)

Within the educational services industry, employer costs for wages and salaries averaged $38.92 per hour 
worked and accounted for 71.8 percent of total compensation. Within the health care and social 
assistance industry, employer costs for wages and salaries averaged $31.84 per hour worked and accounted 
for 70.5 percent of total compensation. (See table 4.)

Within the educational services industry, paid leave cost employers $4.70 per hour worked and accounted 
for 8.7 percent of total compensation. Within the health care and social assistance industry, paid leave 
cost employers $3.93 per hour worked and accounted for 8.7 percent of total compensation. (See table 4.)

Employer Costs for Employee Compensation for March 2024 is scheduled to be released on 
Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).