In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Michigan earned $32.23 an hour against $28.48 in the private sector, a gap of +13%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $53.72 against $64.47 privately (-17%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Healthcare (-5%), Management (+6%), and Skilled trades (+9%), and government pay holds up best in Protective service (+72%) and Education (+25%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Michigan 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 | $32.23 | $28.48 | +13% | $53.72 | $64.47 | -17% |
| Admin and clerical | $26.86 | $22.56 | +19% | $41.07 | $40.83 | +1% |
| Education | $32.23 | $25.79 | +25% | $48.35 | $50.71 | -5% |
| Engineering * | $53.72 | $51.58 | +4% | $66.30 | $77.48 | -14% |
| Finance * | $36.81 | $38.68 | -5% | $65.01 | $83.32 | -22% |
| Healthcare | $36.67 | $38.68 | -5% | $113.68 | $76.40 | +49% |
| Legal * | $49.43 | $40.72 | +21% | $85.59 | $123.98 | -31% |
| Management | $45.63 | $42.98 | +6% | $68.77 | $94.40 | -27% |
| Protective service | $33.95 | $19.73 | +72% | $53.72 | $39.53 | +36% |
| Skilled trades | $31.16 | $28.65 | +9% | $48.03 | $50.15 | -4% |
| Software and IT * | $37.61 | $48.35 | -22% | $64.79 | $75.27 | -14% |
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.