Employer Costs for Employee Compensation News Release - 2024 Q04 Results — 2025-03-14

Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $47.20 per hour worked in December 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries averaged $32.52, while benefit costs averaged $14.68. (See tables 1 and 2.) Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $44.67 per hour worked in December 2024. Wages and salaries averaged $31.47 per hour worked and accounted for 70.5 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $13.20 per hour worked and accounted for the remaining 29.5 percent. (See tables 1 and 4.) Total employer compensation costs for state and local government workers averaged $63.46 per hour worked in December 2024. Wages and salaries averaged $39.22 and accounted for 61.8 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $24.23 and accounted for 38.2 percent.