Compensation costs for private industry workers in the Atlanta–Athens-Clarke County–Sandy Springs, GA-AL Combined Statistical Area (CSA) increased by 2.9 percent for the year ending September 2025, according to a report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This growth is lower than the previous year’s increase of 4.8 percent.
Victoria G. Lee, Regional Commissioner, stated, “Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.9 percent in the Atlanta–Athens-Clarke County–Sandy Springs, GA-AL Combined Statistical Area (CSA) for the year ending in September 2025.” She also noted that “one year ago, Atlanta experienced an annual gain of 4.8 percent in compensation costs.”
Nationally, compensation costs rose by 3.5 percent over the same period.
Wages and salaries in Atlanta advanced at a rate of 2.8 percent during this time frame, compared to a national increase of 3.6 percent.
Atlanta is one of fifteen metropolitan areas nationwide where locality compensation cost data are collected and reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among these areas, changes in compensation costs ranged from a high of 5.7 percent in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale to a low of 2.1 percent in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor as of September 2025.
Within the South region’s five largest metropolitan areas—Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston-Pasadena, Miami, Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, and Atlanta—the annual change in compensation costs ranged from Miami’s high at 5.7 percent to Washington’s low at 2.2 percent.
The Employment Cost Index (ECI), which includes these local figures as part of its broader measurement efforts, tracks quarterly changes in wages and benefits while controlling for shifts among occupations and industries.
Additional details on survey methodology can be found through resources such as the National Compensation Measures Handbook of Methods and other technical notes provided by the Bureau.
The CSA covered by this report includes multiple counties across Georgia and Chambers County in Alabama.
For more information or assistance with accessibility needs related to this release, individuals may contact (202) 691-5200 or use Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.
