U.S. employers paid on average $28.03 an hour in wages and benefits in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries averaged $19.56 an hour, or 69.8% of costs, and benefits averaged $8.47 for 30.2%.

The cost per hour of life, health, and disability insurance averaged $2.35, according to the BLS. Legally required benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, and workers' compensation averaged $2.22 an hour. Benefits such as vacations, holidays, and sick leave averaged $1.95 an hour, and retirement and savings benefits averaged $1.22 per hour. Overtime and nonproduction bonuses averaged 72 cents per hour.