Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis
Latest Data: 2022
Release Timing: October
Frequency: Annual

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), compensation of employees is “the total remuneration, both monetary and in kind, payable by employers to employees in return for their work during the period.” This definition includes wages, salaries and supplemental benefits.

The data comes from the BEA’s table CA6N Compensation of Employees by NAICS Industry. NAICS refers to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) which is “the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.”

Note -- All dollar estimates are in thousands of current dollars (not adjusted for inflation). Statistics presented in thousands of dollars do not indicate more precision than statistics presented in millions of dollars.                                                                            
Metropolitan Areas are defined (geographically delineated) by the Office of Management and Budget bulletin no. 18-04 issued September 14, 2018.                                                                            

Last updated: November 16, 2023 -- new statistics for 2022; revised statistics for 2002-2021.