In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Kansas earned $26.86 an hour against $27.94 in the private sector, a gap of -4%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $48.35 against $62.32 privately (-22%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Management (-11%), Admin and clerical (+4%), and Education (+18%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+18%) and Admin and clerical (+4%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Kansas 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 | $26.86 | $27.94 | -4% | $48.35 | $62.32 | -22% |
| Admin and clerical | $22.37 | $21.49 | +4% | $36.53 | $38.68 | -6% |
| Education | $26.81 | $22.70 | +18% | $42.98 | $36.94 | +16% |
| Engineering * | $43.37 | $51.54 | -16% | $66.66 | $79.50 | -16% |
| Finance * | $29.89 | $37.07 | -19% | $44.10 | $71.70 | -38% |
| Healthcare * | $34.50 | $37.61 | -8% | $59.86 | $72.60 | -18% |
| Legal * | $44.52 | $42.29 | +5% | $101.46 | $208.34 | -51% |
| Management | $35.83 | $40.29 | -11% | $60.71 | $88.65 | -32% |
| Protective service * | $27.94 | $20.72 | +35% | $43.94 | $46.39 | -5% |
| Skilled trades * | $25.75 | $26.86 | -4% | $33.92 | $46.24 | -27% |
| Software and IT * | $30.04 | $49.96 | -40% | $50.98 | $80.59 | -37% |
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.