US Employer Costs for Employee Compensation Rise to $47.20 per Hour

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employer compensation costs for civilian workers averaged $47.20 per hour worked in December 2024. This includes wages and salaries averaging $32.52 and benefit costs averaging $14.68. Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $44.67 per hour worked. In the private sector, wages and salaries accounted for 70.5% of employer costs, while benefit costs accounted for 29.5%. The leisure and hospitality industry had the lowest total employer compensation costs, averaging $19.90 per hour worked.