What an $80,000 Employee Costs in Every State
A like-for-like 51-jurisdiction comparison using the same salary and benefit assumptions.
Employee Cost Calculator
Original TrueHireCost research on fully loaded employee cost, payroll burden, benefits, SUTA, hiring cost, vacancy, turnover, and 50-state comparisons.
Open the CalculatorTrueHireCost Research turns the calculator’s underlying tax, benefit, workers’ compensation, and hiring-cost inputs into original comparisons and worked scenarios. The articles below use consistent assumptions so readers can reproduce the analysis, inspect the methodology, and verify source data in the source library.
A like-for-like 51-jurisdiction comparison using the same salary and benefit assumptions.
Breaks the fully loaded employer cost into payroll taxes, benefits, workers’ comp, and overhead.
Ranks higher-cost states under a consistent $80,000 employee scenario.
Ranks lower-cost states under the same transparent assumptions.
Isolates state unemployment rates and wage bases to show their effect on employer cost.
Shows how monthly benefit assumptions move annual loaded cost and the burden multiplier.
Separates recurring annual employment cost from one-time recruiting and onboarding cost.
Explains why recruiting cost and annual employee cost measure different financial decisions.
Models the hidden cost of an open role and the productivity curve of a new hire.
Breaks turnover into separation, vacancy, replacement, and ramp-up components.
The research uses the same published assumptions and calculation engine as the live tools. Statutory inputs are separated from published benchmarks and modeling assumptions, and the pages show worked calculations rather than generic summaries. The purpose is to help employers understand which inputs move total cost and by how much.
Every rate and formula is checked against the issuing agency before publication. Last updated 2026-08-24.
IRS
FICA, FUTA tax rate & wage base
U.S. DOL
FUTA credit, federal wage & hour
State Workforce Agencies
SUTA rates, wage bases, new-employer rates
BLS
Industry salary benchmarks & turnover
For Estimation Purposes Only
TrueHireCost provides cost estimates for informational purposes only and is not professional tax, legal, or HR advice. Actual employer costs vary by experience rating, industry classification, carrier, and jurisdiction. Consult a qualified CPA, tax advisor, or HR professional before making hiring or payroll decisions.