Health insurance benefit costs in private industry, March 2010

In March 2010, the average cost for health insurance benefits was $2.08 per hour worked in private industry. Among occupational groups, employer costs for health insurance benefits ranged from 92 cents per hour for service workers, to $3.03 per hour for management, professional, and related occupations.

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In March 2010, among other occupational groups, employer costs for health benefits averaged $1.87 per hour worked for sales and office occupations, lower than $2.49 per hour for natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations, and $2.34 per hour for production, transportation, and material moving occupations.

Employer costs for health insurance benefits were significantly higher for union workers, averaging $4.38 per hour worked, than for nonunion workers, averaging $1.82 per hour.

In goods-producing industries, health insurance benefit costs were higher, at $2.88 per hour worked, than in service-providing industries, at $1.92 per hour.

Among the four regions, costs for health insurance benefits ranged from $1.78 per hour worked in the South to $2.40 per hour in the Northeast. Health care costs were $2.21 per hour in the Midwest and $2.11 per hour in the West.

These data are from the Compensation Cost Trends program. To learn more, see "Employer Costs for Employee Compensation — March 2010" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-10-0774. Benefit costs include paid leave, supplemental pay, insurance benefits, retirement and savings, and legally required benefits.