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State and Local Government Outpace Private Pay by 44%
A new survey from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics looks at the total employer costs for workers in both the private and public sector. While wages for state and local government workers nationally outpaces that of the private sector – and for all categories, except management – the cost of benefits in the government sector is far greater.
State and local government employees earn, on average, 35% higher wages than their private counterparts, their benefits per hour are 69% higher (for a total of 44% higher compensation). Splits for categories are below.
| Hourly Costs | |||||
| Private | Total | Wages | Insurance | Retirement | Total Benefits |
| All | $27.42 | $19.41 | $2.15 | $0.92 | $8.00 |
| Management, professional, and related | $48.19 | $34.12 | $3.20 | $1.81 | $14.07 |
| Sales and Office | $21.60 | $15.53 | $1.90 | $0.60 | $6.07 |
| Service | $13.66 | $10.32 | $0.93 | $0.21 | $3.34 |
| State and Local Government | Total | Wages | Insurance | Retirement | Total Benefits |
| All | $39.60 | $26.11 | $4.61 | $3.19 | $13.49 |
| Management, professional, and related | $48.15 | $32.96 | $5.11 | $3.78 | $15.19 |
| Sales and Office | $27.57 | $16.94 | $4.21 | $2.00 | $10.63 |
| Service | $29.37 | $17.72 | $3.71 | $2.83 | $11.65 |
| Teachers | $54.85 | $38.83 | $5.63 | $4.54 | $16.02 |
| Government Premium | Total | Wages | Insurance | Retirement | Total Benefits |
| All | 44% | 35% | 114% | 247% | 69% |
| Management, professional, and related | 0% | -3% | 60% | 109% | 8% |
| Sales and Office | 28% | 9% | 122% | 233% | 75% |
| Service | 115% | 72% | 299% | 1248% | 249% |