In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Arizona earned $30.62 an hour against $29.55 in the private sector, a gap of +4%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $54.26 against $69.84 privately (-22%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Software and IT (-16%), Management (-12%), and Healthcare (-3%), and government pay holds up best in Protective service (+56%) and Skilled trades (+16%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Arizona 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 | $30.62 | $29.55 | +4% | $54.26 | $69.84 | -22% |
| Admin and clerical | $24.18 | $23.13 | +5% | $42.98 | $40.29 | +7% |
| Education | $27.40 | $26.33 | +4% | $48.35 | $40.29 | +20% |
| Engineering * | $48.35 | $53.72 | -10% | $64.47 | $96.70 | -33% |
| Finance * | $33.24 | $40.29 | -17% | $61.55 | $85.96 | -28% |
| Healthcare | $40.56 | $41.91 | -3% | $82.76 | $85.96 | -4% |
| Legal * | $48.35 | $42.28 | +14% | $78.98 | $132.09 | -40% |
| Management | $37.61 | $42.98 | -12% | $61.80 | $96.70 | -36% |
| Protective service | $34.92 | $22.39 | +56% | $53.25 | $34.38 | +55% |
| Skilled trades | $31.16 | $26.86 | +16% | $51.52 | $47.28 | +9% |
| Software and IT | $40.29 | $47.76 | -16% | $59.10 | $87.03 | -32% |
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.