In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Massachusetts earned $40.29 an hour against $40.29 in the private sector, a gap of 0%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $64.47 against $98.20 privately (-34%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Management (-16%), Healthcare (-11%), and Education (+14%), and government pay holds up best in Admin and clerical (+15%) and Skilled trades (+14%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Massachusetts 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 | $40.29 | $40.29 | 0% | $64.47 | $98.20 | -34% |
| Admin and clerical | $32.23 | $27.94 | +15% | $47.71 | $54.52 | -12% |
| Education | $40.65 | $35.67 | +14% | $56.43 | $73.13 | -23% |
| Engineering * | $53.72 | $58.62 | -8% | $73.60 | $102.08 | -28% |
| Finance * | $42.98 | $50.14 | -14% | $70.21 | $125.72 | -44% |
| Healthcare | $42.98 | $48.35 | -11% | $75.94 | $106.96 | -29% |
| Legal * | $53.46 | $55.37 | -3% | $92.19 | $171.92 | -46% |
| Management | $47.63 | $56.85 | -16% | $77.14 | $134.31 | -43% |
| Protective service * | $45.93 | $29.22 | +57% | $77.89 | $64.47 | +21% |
| Skilled trades | $36.84 | $32.23 | +14% | $54.13 | $60.26 | -10% |
| Software and IT * | $50.57 | $66.19 | -24% | $72.74 | $112.82 | -36% |
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.