The National Compensation Survey (NCS) is produced by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), measuring occupational earnings, compensation costs, benefit incidence rates, and plan provisions.
Detailed occupational earnings are available for both metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, broad geographic regions, and on a national basis.
Occupations are benchmarked using a four-factor leveling system developed by the BLS to assist in comparing compensation data across industries, professions, and geographic boundaries.
In August 2023, the BLS announced it would stop collecting data on workers' compensation, which provides medical care and wage replacement in exchange for the employee's right to sue their employer for negligence.
Additionally, the NCS surveyed corporate establishments for their total workers' compensation costs, obscuring differences by occupation.