Labor Day: A closer look at wages and benefits for unionized workers

Labor unions celebrated the first Labor Day with a parade in 1882, and Congress declared it a federal holiday 12 years later. In recognition of labor unions and the federal holiday, let’s look at some wage and benefit data by bargaining status (that is, whether workers are represented by unions).

In 2024, the median weekly earnings of workers represented by labor unions were $1,320, compared with $1,138 for nonunion workers. This held for many occupations including protective service occupations in which workers represented by unions earned a higher median wage per week ($1,519) than nonunion workers ($937). But the opposite was the case in other occupations. For example, nonunion workers in computer and mathematical occupations earned median weekly wages of $1,963 whereas workers represented by unions earned $1,655.

In March 2024, nearly all civilian workers represented by unions (97 percent) and about 7 out of 8 civilian nonunion workers (87 percent) had access to personal leave, sick leave, paid family leave, or vacation. Access rates to retirement and medical benefits were each 95 percent among civilian workers represented by unions but 72 percent and 71 percent, respectively, among civilian nonunion workers.

These data are from the Current Population Survey program and the Employee Benefits program. For more information, see “Union Members — 2024” and “Employee Benefits in the United States — March 2024." We also have more charts on employee benefits. Civilian workers include all employees in private industry and state and local government.