In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Maine earned $29.28 an hour against $28.80 in the private sector, a gap of +2%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $49.43 against $60.87 privately (-19%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
Sample sizes by occupation in Maine are small; read the domain rows as indicative.
Public vs private pay in Maine 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 | $29.28 | $28.80 | +2% | $49.43 | $60.87 | -19% |
| Admin and clerical * | $24.67 | $24.18 | +2% | $38.68 | $45.44 | -15% |
| Education * | $25.79 | $30.62 | -16% | $39.22 | $49.43 | -21% |
| Engineering * | $64.14 | $44.05 | +46% | $77.22 | $69.84 | +11% |
| Finance * | $30.44 | $33.50 | -9% | $45.31 | $67.07 | -32% |
| Healthcare * | $39.02 | $41.66 | -6% | $77.82 | $105.37 | -26% |
| Legal * | $63.17 | $43.53 | +45% | $84.13 | $120.88 | -30% |
| Management * | $39.88 | $37.61 | +6% | $55.85 | $91.58 | -39% |
| Protective service * | $33.30 | $28.83 | +16% | $54.23 | $45.36 | +20% |
| Skilled trades * | $31.02 | $27.80 | +12% | $37.52 | $42.45 | -12% |
| Software and IT * | $31.88 | $47.84 | -33% | $77.82 | $80.34 | -3% |
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.