In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Colorado earned $33.43 an hour against $34.92 in the private sector, a gap of -4%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $61.25 against $83.81 privately (-27%). 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 (-18%), Management (-13%), and Healthcare (-2%), and government pay holds up best in Skilled trades (+15%) and Admin and clerical (+5%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Colorado 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 | $33.43 | $34.92 | -4% | $61.25 | $83.81 | -27% |
| Admin and clerical | $26.86 | $25.52 | +5% | $45.47 | $44.86 | +1% |
| Education | $27.94 | $26.86 | +4% | $46.74 | $53.47 | -13% |
| Engineering * | $56.46 | $55.02 | +3% | $84.93 | $94.56 | -10% |
| Finance * | $39.98 | $44.42 | -10% | $68.66 | $94.02 | -27% |
| Healthcare | $42.26 | $42.98 | -2% | $80.59 | $94.86 | -15% |
| Legal * | $53.72 | $59.10 | -9% | $88.65 | $227.79 | -61% |
| Management | $42.98 | $49.47 | -13% | $74.61 | $106.85 | -30% |
| Protective service * | $39.84 | $29.80 | +34% | $60.54 | $67.16 | -10% |
| Skilled trades | $32.17 | $28.08 | +15% | $45.67 | $49.43 | -8% |
| Software and IT | $48.35 | $59.10 | -18% | $77.25 | $104.76 | -26% |
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.