WY · Cost to hire 2026
How much does it cost to hire an employee in Wyoming?
The real first-year cost of a W-2 hire in Wyoming is the ongoing fully-loaded payroll plus the one-time spend to recruit, onboard, and equip the person. A $75,000 hire runs about $109,841 in year one.
Wyoming's first-year cost to hire combines a recurring employer burden with the one-time spend it takes to make a worker productive, and it carries a wrinkle most states do not: a state-monopoly workers' compensation fund. Year one adds recruiting, onboarding and training, and equipment and setup, modeled in HiringMath at roughly $8,500 one-time plus about $1,500 a year in software, on top of ongoing costs. On the recurring side, new employers pay State Unemployment Insurance at 2.35% on the first $32,400 of wages, so even a mid-salary worker can reach the $761.40 annual SUI cap, one of the higher maximums among low-tax states because of the large wage base. Wyoming levies no state income tax, removing withholding administration, but workers' comp coverage is mandatory through the Wyoming State Insurance Fund, with private carriers not an option for most industries. Federal FICA at 7.65% and net FUTA apply on top. With the economy built on energy extraction, agriculture, and tourism around Casper, Cheyenne, and Jackson Hole, modeling the full year-one figure, including the WSIF premium, is what keeps an offer honest.
Estimate a Wyoming hire
Pre-filled with Wyoming's 2.35% new-employer SUI rate. Adjust salary, benefits, and one-time costs to fit your hire.
First-year cost of a $75,000 hire in Wyoming
| Recurring (annual) | |
| Base salary | $75,000 |
| Employer payroll taxes | $6,541 |
| Workers' comp | $750 |
| Benefits | $10,050 |
| Overhead | $7,500 |
| Software & toolsrecurs yearly | $1,500 |
| One-time (year one) | |
| Recruiting | $4,000 |
| Onboarding & training | $2,000 |
| Equipment & setup | $2,500 |
| Ongoing annual cost (year 2+) | $101,341 |
| Total first-year cost | $109,841 |
First-year cost by salary in Wyoming
| Base salary | First-year total |
|---|---|
| $50,000 | $79,428 |
| $75,000 | $109,841 |
| $100,000 | $140,253 |
What drives the cost in Wyoming
Wyoming's new-employer SUI rate is 2.35% on the first $32,400 of wages, a maximum of $761 per worker per year (above the national average of 2.07%). That sits on top of 7.65% employer FICA and 0.6% FUTA. Wyoming levies no state income tax, so there is no state withholding to administer.
Extra employer costs: No state income tax; state-monopoly workers' comp (WSIF).
Compare and dig deeper
Weighing an employee against a contractor? See the Wyoming W-2 vs 1099 comparison for the breakeven contract rate. Compare neighboring markets, including Missouri, Hawaii, Oregon, Connecticut, or read how much it costs to hire an employee nationally.
Cost-to-hire FAQ for Wyoming
- What goes into the first-year cost to hire in Wyoming?
- Ongoing fully-loaded payroll (salary, 7.65% FICA, net FUTA, SUI at 2.35% on the first $32,400, the mandatory WSIF workers' comp premium, and benefits) plus one-time hiring costs. HiringMath defaults the one-time items, recruiting, onboarding, training, and equipment, to about $8,500, with roughly $1,500 a year in software.
- Why is Wyoming's SUI cost higher than the rate implies?
- The 2.35% new-employer rate applies to the first $32,400 of wages, a relatively high taxable base for a no-income-tax state. That pushes the maximum SUI cost to $761.40 per worker per year, which most full-time salaries will reach before the rate adjusts to an experience account.
- Does Wyoming's lack of state income tax lower the employer's cost to hire?
- It removes state withholding administration, but the benefit flows to employees. Employers still carry FICA, net FUTA, the 2.35% SUI contribution, mandatory workers' comp coverage through the Wyoming State Insurance Fund, benefits, and the one-time setup spend that defines the first year.