In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Alabama earned $29.01 an hour against $25.79 in the private sector, a gap of +12%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $56.28 against $59.10 privately (-5%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Healthcare (+2%), Skilled trades (+7%), and Management (+8%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+43%) and Admin and clerical (+18%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Alabama by occupation, 2023
| Occupation domain | Government median $/hr | Private median $/hr | Gap at median | Government 90th pct | Private 90th pct | Gap at 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All occupations | $29.01 | $25.79 | +12% | $56.28 | $59.10 | -5% |
| Admin and clerical | $24.18 | $20.42 | +18% | $42.98 | $34.92 | +23% |
| Education | $27.94 | $19.53 | +43% | $44.36 | $37.28 | +19% |
| Engineering * | $53.72 | $52.66 | +2% | $78.95 | $84.01 | -6% |
| Finance * | $37.08 | $37.37 | -1% | $69.66 | $97.28 | -28% |
| Healthcare | $32.79 | $32.23 | +2% | $80.82 | $71.04 | +14% |
| Legal * | $43.48 | $37.46 | +16% | $87.39 | $119.95 | -27% |
| Management | $37.94 | $35.10 | +8% | $70.06 | $89.37 | -22% |
| Protective service * | $28.29 | $18.11 | +56% | $46.42 | $63.72 | -27% |
| Skilled trades | $26.86 | $25.19 | +7% | $52.14 | $46.12 | +13% |
| Software and IT * | $39.22 | $47.66 | -18% | $75.53 | $80.78 | -6% |
How to read this
Raw medians compare different people: government employs more teachers, nurses, and degree-holders than the private sector does. The parent piece adjusts for education and experience nationally (federal pay 7% above comparable private workers, state pay 17% below, local pay 17% below) and shows the gap opening at the top of the ladder, where private pay in software, law, finance, and engineering has pulled away. This state table is the unadjusted view; the methodology appendix explains both.