In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Kentucky earned $26.86 an hour against $26.86 in the private sector, a gap of 0%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $47.88 against $58.56 privately (-18%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Healthcare (-14%), Management (-11%), and Admin and clerical (0%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+20%) and Admin and clerical (0%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Kentucky 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 | $26.86 | 0% | $47.88 | $58.56 | -18% |
| Admin and clerical | $21.49 | $21.49 | 0% | $37.61 | $35.82 | +5% |
| Education | $26.86 | $22.36 | +20% | $42.98 | $38.58 | +11% |
| Engineering * | $35.96 | $45.67 | -21% | $56.41 | $72.30 | -22% |
| Finance * | $27.46 | $35.99 | -24% | $53.72 | $75.21 | -29% |
| Healthcare | $32.23 | $37.61 | -14% | $61.80 | $78.19 | -21% |
| Legal * | $33.77 | $30.33 | +11% | $58.23 | $92.37 | -37% |
| Management | $34.38 | $38.68 | -11% | $52.65 | $85.96 | -39% |
| Protective service * | $27.94 | $20.42 | +37% | $47.28 | $43.16 | +10% |
| Skilled trades * | $21.49 | $30.09 | -29% | $42.14 | $50.29 | -16% |
| Software and IT * | $34.15 | $40.83 | -16% | $63.33 | $69.84 | -9% |
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.