Key Takeaways

Health insurance, PTO, and 401(k) plans are among the most common employee benefits offered. Offering flexible schedules and remote work options can attract and retain talent. Educational benefits, such as tuition reimbursement, support employee development. Employee benefits programs should be regularly assessed to meet employee needs and stay competitive.

Employee benefits enhance compensation packages, making job offers more attractive to candidates and encouraging existing employees to remain with your organization. The key to success is knowing what types of employee benefits to offer

In this guide, you’ll learn about the most commonly offered benefits in Indeed job postings and gain the knowledge you need to make informed decisions about what to include in your compensation plans.

These are the top 30 most commonly offered employee benefits, based on benefits listed in job postings on Indeed in 2023.¹

1. Health insurance

Included in 41.13% of job postings

Health insurance is both the most common type of insurance benefit for employees and the most frequently offered benefit overall. Health insurance policies help cover the cost of medical expenses, such as doctors’ visits, hospitalization and prescription drugs.

2. Paid time off

Included in 33.75% of job postings

Paid time off, also called PTO, allows employees to receive their usual wages while taking time off from work. Employers may offer a certain number of hours of PTO that employees can use to cover sick days, personal days and vacation time.

3. 401(k)

Included in 32.07% of job postings

A 401(k) plan enables employees to save for retirement in tax-advantaged individual accounts via deductions taken directly from their paychecks before payroll tax deductions

4. Dental insurance

Included in 31.38% of job postings

The second most common type of insurance benefits for employees, dental insurance may cover everything from routine cleanings and X-rays to cavity fillings, dentures and dental implants. Some policies also include coverage for specialty care, such as orthodontics or periodontics.

5. Vision insurance

Included in 30.93% of job postings

Vision insurance helps cover the costs of routine eye exams, eyeglasses, contact lenses and other vision care services. Premiums for vision insurance tend to be more affordable than other types of insurance for employees.

6. 401(k) matching

Included in 17.10% of job postings

401(k) matching makes 401(k) plans even more appealing employee benefits. With matching, employers match employees’ retirement plan contributions dollar for dollar up to a certain percentage of their salaries. For example, an employer who offered a 5% match would make matching contributions of up to $5,000 annually for an employee who earned $100,000 per year.

7. Life insurance

Included in 15.72% of job postings

Life insurance gives team members a way to provide for their families if they pass away. Upon the policyholder’s death, life insurance pays a death benefit to employees’ beneficiaries, and some policies accumulate a cash value that workers can borrow against or access in the future.

8. Flexible scheduling

Included in 13.12% of job postings

Flexible scheduling is an employee benefits example that doesn’t lead to significant costs to employers but can have a major impact on employees. To support a better work-life balance, organizations can give staff members the option to set their own schedules, work from home on some days or put in longer shifts to get more days off per week.

9. Tuition reimbursement

Included in 10.80% of job postings

Tuition reimbursement programs cover the cost of higher education for employees. An employer may provide assistance with paying off student loan debt and/or offer to pay for all or some of the cost of tuition, books and fees for employees who return to college to earn post-graduate certificates and graduate degrees.

10. Disability insurance

Included in 10.47% of job postings

Rounding out the top 10 most common types of employee benefits, disability insurance provides income to employees who are unable to work due to an injury, illness or medical condition.

11. Employee discount

Included in 10.02% of job postings

Retailers, restaurants, hotels and other businesses may institute employee purchasing programs that give their teams generous discounts on their products and services. Some also extend the discounts to employees’ immediate family members.

12. Employee assistance program

Included in 8.29% of job postings

An employee assistance program or EAP gives team members a place to turn when they’re experiencing stress, coping with a physical or mental health issue or facing a difficult personal situation. Depending on the service, an EAP may provide support for addiction, legal issues, financial concerns, childcare challenges and more.

13. Opportunities for advancement

Included in 7.44% of job postings

Organizations can provide opportunities for advancement, such as career ladder programs and robust internal hiring policies, helping employees progress in their careers and increase their earning potential without having to change employers.

14. Referral program

Included in 7.42% of job postings

Referral programs reward employees for recommending quality candidates for open positions. Rewards include monetary incentives, gift cards, merchandise and more.

15. Flexible spending account

Included in 6.70% of job postings

Commonly called FSAs, flexible spending accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts that employees can use to pay for approved medications, hearing aids, eyeglasses, medical supplies, diabetic testing supplies, diagnostic devices, first aid kits and more. Alternatively, some FSAs help cover the cost of childcare and adult daycare services for employees’ dependents.

16. Paid training

Included in 4.98% of job postings

Paid training allows new hires and existing employees to earn wages while developing new skills. You might pay employees to attend internal trainings while at work or off-site trainings conducted by third-party providers.

17. Health savings account

Included in 4.53% of job postings

Also known as HSAs, health savings accounts enable employees to set aside pre-tax wages to pay for qualified out-of-pocket medical costs, such as co-payments, deductibles and coinsurance.

18. Parental leave

Included in 4.00% of job postings

Parental leave policies allow parents to take time off from work to care for their children. Some are specifically for new parents after the birth or adoption of a child, while others also permit parents to take time off to care for older children.

19. Retirement plan

Included in 2.70% of job postings

Retirement plans give employees the option to set money aside to use in retirement. 401(k) plans are perhaps the most well-known retirement employee benefits example, but employers may provide other types of plans, such as pension funds and deferred compensation plans.

20. Employee stock purchase plan

Included in 2.43% of job postings

Also called employee stock ownership plans or ESOPs, employee stock purchase plans let employees share in ownership of companies by buying shares using their wages on a pre-tax basis. Some employers may also gift shares to employees who participate in ESOPs.

21. Pet insurance

Included in 2.22% of job postings

A less commonly offered employee benefits example, pet insurance can set organizations apart. Policies typically reimburse team members for veterinary care for their dogs and cats, and some plans also cover preventative services, such as vaccinations.

22. Paid sick time

Included in 2.20% of job postings

Paid sick time or sick leave permits employees to take time off when they’re ill, without losing wages. Employers who offer paid sick leave usually provide a certain number of hours of paid time off for medical reasons each year.

23. Continuing education credits

Included in 2.15% of job postings

For employees who need to maintain licenses or certifications to work in their fields, employers may cover the cost of continuing education coursework or offer eligible continuing education classes at work. Continuing education benefits are common for healthcare professionals, educators, accountants, attorneys and engineers.

24. On-the-job training

Included in 2.05% of job postings

On-the-job training is when employers help employees gain new skills through hands-on work activities. Employers may offer on-the-job training for all positions or entry-level jobs.

25. AD&D insurance

Included in 1.96% of job postings

Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance provides a lump sum benefit if a covered employee dies or loses a limb due to an accident. Some policies also pay out benefits if an employee becomes totally blinded due to an accidental cause.

26. Professional development assistance

Included in 1.79% of job postings

Professional development assistance helps employees develop leadership skills to take on positions with increased responsibility. Assistance can be as informal as career mapping with a supervisor or as formal as management development programs that include coursework and job shadowing opportunities.

27. Paid parental leave

Included in 1.74% of job postings

Paid parental leave is when employers pay team members who take time off for an approved parental leave. Most policies will pay employees for a maximum number of months or weeks.

28. Adoption assistance

Included in 1.55% of job postings

With adoption assistance, employers pay for all or some of the fees employees pay when adopting a child from the United States or overseas.

29. Relocation assistance

Included in 1.50% of job postings

When an employee must move locally, regionally or nationally for their position, relocation assistance helps to cover some of the associated costs.

30. Wellness program

Included in 1.28% of job postings

Wellness programs provide employees with ways to support their physical and mental health. They can include health screenings, gym memberships and healthy snacks in break rooms.

¹Indeed data (US), Dec 2022 – Dec 2023