In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Arkansas earned $25.79 an hour against $24.62 in the private sector, a gap of +5%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $45.67 against $56.45 privately (-19%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Admin and clerical (-5%), Management (-5%), and Education (-3%), and government pay holds up best in Education (-3%) and Management (-5%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Arkansas 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 | $25.79 | $24.62 | +5% | $45.67 | $56.45 | -19% |
| Admin and clerical | $19.34 | $20.46 | -5% | $38.68 | $37.61 | +3% |
| Education | $25.79 | $26.54 | -3% | $36.53 | $42.76 | -15% |
| Engineering * | $47.23 | $49.35 | -4% | $63.58 | $84.70 | -25% |
| Finance * | $31.91 | $34.92 | -9% | $49.74 | $83.14 | -40% |
| Healthcare * | $38.88 | $33.95 | +15% | $85.96 | $67.16 | +28% |
| Legal * | $28.05 | $46.60 | -40% | $102.10 | $152.76 | -33% |
| Management | $32.23 | $33.85 | -5% | $53.72 | $90.15 | -40% |
| Protective service * | $24.18 | $25.70 | -6% | $43.99 | $48.63 | -10% |
| Skilled trades * | $24.42 | $23.10 | +6% | $40.21 | $42.98 | -6% |
| Software and IT * | $28.78 | $46.27 | -38% | $55.60 | $86.72 | -36% |
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.