Temporary Help Services — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the temporary help services industry earns $48,893 per year ($23.51/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Temporary Help Workers Earn?
At $48,893/year (equivalent to $23.51/hour for a full-time worker), temporary help services wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical temporary help services business employs 28 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average temporary help services business generating $14.3M/year with 28 employees at $48,893 each, total payroll represents roughly 9.6% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a temporary help servicesbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $63,561/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 28 employees = ~$1,369,004/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $23.51/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $14.3M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Temporary Help Services revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do temporary help services employees make?
- The average temporary help services employee earns $48,893 per year, which is equivalent to $23.51/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the temporary help services industry?
- The temporary help services industry employs 2,808,706 workers across 99,487 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 28 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).