In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Georgia earned $28.17 an hour against $27.94 in the private sector, a gap of +1%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $53.72 against $71.63 privately (-25%). 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 (-27%), Finance (-25%), and Healthcare (-17%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+23%) and Protective service (+15%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Georgia 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 | $28.17 | $27.94 | +1% | $53.72 | $71.63 | -25% |
| Admin and clerical | $22.56 | $22.56 | 0% | $41.37 | $41.91 | -1% |
| Education | $28.28 | $23.06 | +23% | $42.98 | $47.28 | -9% |
| Engineering * | $46.40 | $48.35 | -4% | $83.22 | $80.59 | +3% |
| Finance | $32.23 | $42.98 | -25% | $54.68 | $90.57 | -40% |
| Healthcare | $32.23 | $38.68 | -17% | $66.41 | $80.05 | -17% |
| Legal * | $43.52 | $45.33 | -4% | $78.65 | $184.48 | -57% |
| Management | $40.08 | $42.98 | -7% | $70.33 | $107.45 | -35% |
| Protective service | $26.86 | $23.36 | +15% | $48.35 | $49.06 | -1% |
| Skilled trades | $24.18 | $25.14 | -4% | $37.61 | $47.81 | -21% |
| Software and IT | $39.08 | $53.72 | -27% | $73.00 | $87.90 | -17% |
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.