In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Delaware earned $32.23 an hour against $31.06 in the private sector, a gap of +4%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $56.49 against $71.63 privately (-21%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
Sample sizes by occupation in Delaware are small; read the domain rows as indicative.
Public vs private pay in Delaware 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 | $32.23 | $31.06 | +4% | $56.49 | $71.63 | -21% |
| Admin and clerical * | $26.88 | $25.24 | +6% | $50.55 | $46.59 | +8% |
| Education * | $29.62 | $20.01 | +48% | $49.80 | $51.61 | -4% |
| Engineering * | $49.23 | $53.72 | -8% | $83.03 | $94.69 | -12% |
| Finance * | $50.38 | $39.31 | +28% | $66.67 | $84.56 | -21% |
| Healthcare * | $39.78 | $41.78 | -5% | $53.72 | $70.80 | -24% |
| Legal * | $60.04 | $39.76 | +51% | $65.93 | $76.58 | -14% |
| Management * | $40.83 | $48.35 | -16% | $78.75 | $114.35 | -31% |
| Protective service * | $31.17 | $21.17 | +47% | $55.04 | $45.45 | +21% |
| Skilled trades * | $31.28 | $25.77 | +21% | $41.79 | $42.98 | -3% |
| Software and IT * | $41.11 | $51.58 | -20% | $89.14 | $81.08 | +10% |
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.