Employer Costs for Employee Compensation Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, December 17, 2024					    USDL-24-2561

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                       EMPLOYER COSTS FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION - SEPTEMBER 2024
                       
Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $46.84 per hour worked in 
September 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries averaged 
$32.25, while benefit costs averaged $14.59. (See tables 1 and 2.) 

Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $44.40 per hour worked in 
September 2024. Wages and salaries averaged $31.25 per hour worked and accounted for 70.4 percent of 
employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $13.15 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 $62.92 per hour 
worked in September 2024. Wages and salaries averaged $38.86 and accounted for 61.8 percent of employer 
costs, while benefit costs averaged $24.06 and accounted for 38.2 percent. (See tables 1 and 3.)

Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers in establishments with less than 50 
workers averaged $35.27 per hour worked in September 2024. Wages and salaries averaged $26.39, while 
benefit costs averaged $8.88. In establishments with 500 workers or more, total employer compensation 
costs averaged $64.48 per hour worked. Wages and salaries averaged $42.18, while benefit costs 
averaged $22.31. (See table 6.)

Compensation costs by establishment size in the private sector

In establishments with less than 50 workers, employer costs for paid leave benefits averaged $2.16 per 
hour worked and accounted for 6.1 percent of total compensation costs. Employer costs for legally 
required benefits averaged $2.81 per hour worked and accounted for 8.0 percent of total 
compensation costs.

In establishments with 500 workers or more, employer costs for paid leave benefits averaged $5.83 per 
hour worked and accounted for 9.0 percent of total compensation costs. Employer costs for legally 
required benefits averaged $4.29 per hour worked and accounted for 6.6 percent of total compensation 
costs. (See table 6.) 

In goods-producing industries, total employer compensation costs averaged $39.74 per hour worked in 
establishments with less than 50 workers and $56.64 per hour worked in establishments with 500 workers 
or more. In service-providing industries, total employer compensation costs averaged $34.57 per 
hour worked in establishments with less than 50 workers and $66.14 per hour worked in establishments 
with 500 workers or more. (See table 6.)

Employer Costs for Employee Compensation for December 2024 is scheduled to be released on 
Friday, March 14, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).