Compensation costs for private industry workers in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL Combined Statistical Area increased by 5.7 percent over the year ending September 2025, according to a report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This rise is higher than the nationwide increase of 3.5 percent during the same period.
Victoria G. Lee, Regional Commissioner for the BLS, stated that “one year ago, Miami experienced an annual gain of 2.2 percent in compensation costs.” The data show that wages and salaries—the largest part of compensation—rose by 5.9 percent locally in Miami over the past year, compared to a national increase of 3.6 percent.
The BLS reports that Miami is one of fifteen metropolitan areas across the United States where locality compensation cost data are collected and one of five such areas in the South region. Among these areas, Miami recorded both the highest overall increase in compensation costs (5.7 percent) and in wages and salaries (5.9 percent) for September 2025.
In comparison to other southern metropolitan areas—Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs; Dallas-Fort Worth; Houston-Pasadena; and Washington—Miami’s increase was higher than their advances, which ranged from 4.5 percent to 2.2 percent for total compensation costs and from 5.0 percent to 1.9 percent for wages and salaries.
These figures are derived from the Employment Cost Index (ECI), which measures quarterly changes in employer costs for employee wages, salaries, and benefits while controlling for employment shifts among occupations or industries.
Additional information about ECI data—including breakdowns by industry, occupation group, union status as well as details on survey methods—is available on the BLS Employment Cost Index website and through its Southeast regional office homepage.
The geographic area covered includes Broward, Indian River, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties.
For those seeking further detail about localities or historical trends within wage growth across American cities or more information about methodology used by BLS surveys can visit respective pages referenced within their technical documentation.
