In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Illinois earned $34.85 an hour against $32.23 in the private sector, a gap of +8%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $60.89 against $76.29 privately (-20%). 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 (-23%), Finance (-9%), and Management (-4%), and government pay holds up best in Protective service (+96%) and Skilled trades (+20%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Illinois 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 | $34.85 | $32.23 | +8% | $60.89 | $76.29 | -20% |
| Admin and clerical | $26.86 | $24.18 | +11% | $45.13 | $44.20 | +2% |
| Education | $32.23 | $26.86 | +20% | $53.72 | $50.01 | +7% |
| Engineering * | $45.11 | $49.43 | -9% | $74.40 | $83.57 | -11% |
| Finance | $38.95 | $42.98 | -9% | $62.26 | $104.76 | -41% |
| Healthcare | $42.51 | $41.77 | +2% | $85.96 | $77.90 | +10% |
| Legal * | $53.60 | $56.02 | -4% | $100.22 | $231.37 | -57% |
| Management | $45.54 | $47.50 | -4% | $72.65 | $107.45 | -32% |
| Protective service | $42.12 | $21.49 | +96% | $64.47 | $52.64 | +22% |
| Skilled trades | $38.68 | $32.23 | +20% | $62.86 | $53.72 | +17% |
| Software and IT | $41.43 | $53.72 | -23% | $67.16 | $91.33 | -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.