In 2023, the median state and local government worker in District of Columbia earned $52.11 an hour against $51.04 in the private sector, a gap of +2%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $91.33 against $125.03 privately (-27%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Legal (-31%) and Management (-17%), and government pay holds up best in Management (-17%) and Legal (-31%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in District of Columbia 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 | $52.11 | $51.04 | +2% | $91.33 | $125.03 | -27% |
| Admin and clerical * | $36.67 | $33.31 | +10% | $76.31 | $54.92 | +39% |
| Education * | $42.10 | $43.93 | -4% | $74.84 | $106.15 | -29% |
| Engineering * | $56.78 | $54.18 | +5% | $93.84 | $83.73 | +12% |
| Finance * | $64.53 | $56.53 | +14% | $78.60 | $126.47 | -38% |
| Healthcare * | $73.07 | $45.68 | +60% | $133.36 | $116.06 | +15% |
| Legal | $74.67 | $107.45 | -31% | $98.85 | $281.61 | -65% |
| Management | $53.72 | $64.79 | -17% | $94.02 | $130.87 | -28% |
| Protective service * | $38.68 | $28.10 | +38% | $70.20 | $102.25 | -31% |
| Skilled trades * | $29.55 | $24.93 | +19% | $29.55 | $51.58 | -43% |
| Software and IT * | $56.15 | $60.28 | -7% | $80.93 | $99.55 | -19% |
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.