In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Connecticut earned $38.16 an hour against $36.66 in the private sector, a gap of +4%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $63.40 against $85.96 privately (-26%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Management (+2%), Education (+15%), and Admin and clerical (+21%), and government pay holds up best in Admin and clerical (+21%) and Education (+15%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Connecticut 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 | $38.16 | $36.66 | +4% | $63.40 | $85.96 | -26% |
| Admin and clerical | $32.54 | $26.86 | +21% | $51.93 | $53.07 | -2% |
| Education | $38.11 | $33.16 | +15% | $56.41 | $59.10 | -5% |
| Engineering * | $54.36 | $56.41 | -4% | $75.21 | $84.56 | -11% |
| Finance * | $35.97 | $51.04 | -30% | $53.72 | $146.13 | -63% |
| Healthcare * | $42.98 | $44.69 | -4% | $69.03 | $96.70 | -29% |
| Legal * | $50.32 | $61.53 | -18% | $98.54 | $173.23 | -43% |
| Management | $53.72 | $52.65 | +2% | $76.99 | $134.31 | -43% |
| Protective service * | $35.90 | $22.03 | +63% | $62.39 | $53.31 | +17% |
| Skilled trades * | $35.41 | $31.16 | +14% | $53.72 | $53.72 | 0% |
| Software and IT * | $46.66 | $53.72 | -13% | $79.12 | $93.15 | -15% |
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.