In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Indiana earned $27.94 an hour against $27.70 in the private sector, a gap of +1%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $50.50 against $60.17 privately (-16%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Skilled trades (-16%), Healthcare (-15%), and Management (-7%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+12%) and Admin and clerical (0%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Indiana 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 | $27.94 | $27.70 | +1% | $50.50 | $60.17 | -16% |
| Admin and clerical | $22.82 | $22.92 | 0% | $38.68 | $37.61 | +3% |
| Education | $26.86 | $23.88 | +12% | $42.67 | $40.29 | +6% |
| Engineering * | $47.26 | $48.35 | -2% | $68.34 | $76.31 | -10% |
| Finance * | $29.97 | $37.23 | -20% | $51.91 | $80.33 | -35% |
| Healthcare | $32.23 | $37.96 | -15% | $65.26 | $73.18 | -11% |
| Legal * | $42.98 | $36.32 | +18% | $82.87 | $186.51 | -56% |
| Management | $35.82 | $38.68 | -7% | $64.47 | $84.22 | -23% |
| Protective service * | $29.86 | $18.80 | +59% | $46.74 | $44.72 | +5% |
| Skilled trades | $25.23 | $30.09 | -16% | $39.55 | $49.58 | -20% |
| Software and IT * | $34.59 | $42.98 | -20% | $52.98 | $81.28 | -35% |
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.