In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Iowa earned $29.55 an hour against $27.94 in the private sector, a gap of +6%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $49.96 against $57.31 privately (-13%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Education (0%), Healthcare (+3%), and Management (+3%), and government pay holds up best in Admin and clerical (+6%) and Management (+3%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Iowa 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 | $29.55 | $27.94 | +6% | $49.96 | $57.31 | -13% |
| Admin and clerical | $24.30 | $22.94 | +6% | $37.61 | $40.83 | -8% |
| Education | $26.86 | $26.86 | 0% | $40.83 | $42.94 | -5% |
| Engineering * | $48.91 | $46.97 | +4% | $59.82 | $67.54 | -11% |
| Finance * | $37.79 | $37.61 | 0% | $57.29 | $80.59 | -29% |
| Healthcare | $38.78 | $37.61 | +3% | $75.21 | $79.58 | -5% |
| Legal * | $48.56 | $40.85 | +19% | $71.74 | $219.20 | -67% |
| Management | $38.83 | $37.61 | +3% | $61.78 | $80.59 | -23% |
| Protective service * | $31.51 | $23.41 | +35% | $45.42 | $39.67 | +14% |
| Skilled trades * | $29.55 | $29.55 | 0% | $42.47 | $45.18 | -6% |
| Software and IT * | $37.41 | $46.20 | -19% | $59.10 | $83.52 | -29% |
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.