March 2026 — 2026-06-12

Employer costs for employee compensation for civilian workers averaged $49.32 per hour worked in March 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries averaged $33.72, while benefit costs averaged $15.60. (See tables 1 and 2.) Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $46.60 per hour worked in March 2026. Wages and salaries averaged $32.60 per hour worked and accounted for 69.9 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs averaged $14.01 per hour worked and accounted for the remaining 30.1 percent. Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers were $18.06 at the 10th wage percentile, $34.78 at the 50th (median) wage percentile, and $89.70 at the 90th wage percentile. (See tables A, 1, and 4.) Total employer compensation costs for state and local government workers averaged $66.41 per hour worked in March 2026.