As of December 2024 it was calculated that the highest average total compensation cost to an employer was for state and local government workers at 63.46 U.S. dollars per hour. This stands higher than the cost for civilian workers, which stood at 45.42 U.S. dollars per hour.
Average hourly employer costs for employee compensation in the United States as of December 2024, by ownership
(in U.S. dollars)
includes costs for wages and salaries and benefits
Supplementary notes
The source provides the following information about the sample size: "Data for this reference period were collected from a probability sample of approximately 29,600
occupational observations selected from a sample of about 7,400 private industry establishments and approximately 7,700 occupational observations selected from a sample of about 1,400 state and local government establishments that provided data at the initial interview."
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Abigail Tierney
Research expert covering U.S. politics and economics
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Bureau of Labor Statistics. (January 15, 2025). Average hourly employer costs for employee compensation in the United States as of December 2024, by ownership (in U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved April 21, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126337/us-employer-costs-for-employees-by-ownership/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Average hourly employer costs for employee compensation in the United States as of December 2024, by ownership (in U.S. dollars)." Chart. January 15, 2025. Statista. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126337/us-employer-costs-for-employees-by-ownership/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025). Average hourly employer costs for employee compensation in the United States as of December 2024, by ownership (in U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: April 21, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126337/us-employer-costs-for-employees-by-ownership/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Average Hourly Employer Costs for Employee Compensation in The United States as of December 2024, by Ownership (in U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 15 Jan 2025, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126337/us-employer-costs-for-employees-by-ownership/
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average hourly employer costs for employee compensation in the United States as of December 2024, by ownership (in U.S. dollars) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126337/us-employer-costs-for-employees-by-ownership/ (last visited April 21, 2025)
Average hourly employer costs for employee compensation in the United States as of December 2024, by ownership (in U.S. dollars) [Graph], Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 15, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126337/us-employer-costs-for-employees-by-ownership/
