In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Minnesota earned $34.38 an hour against $33.09 in the private sector, a gap of +4%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $54.12 against $73.07 privately (-26%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Healthcare (-17%), Management (-12%), and Skilled trades (+8%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+33%) and Admin and clerical (+13%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Minnesota 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 | $34.38 | $33.09 | +4% | $54.12 | $73.07 | -26% |
| Admin and clerical | $29.21 | $25.79 | +13% | $43.83 | $42.07 | +4% |
| Education | $31.27 | $23.59 | +33% | $46.78 | $44.46 | +5% |
| Engineering * | $53.06 | $51.04 | +4% | $65.31 | $81.31 | -20% |
| Finance * | $34.92 | $38.68 | -10% | $69.26 | $85.57 | -19% |
| Healthcare | $37.07 | $44.78 | -17% | $65.41 | $105.88 | -38% |
| Legal * | $47.84 | $58.47 | -18% | $78.56 | $147.64 | -47% |
| Management | $40.29 | $45.67 | -12% | $62.08 | $102.08 | -39% |
| Protective service * | $39.76 | $23.84 | +67% | $58.90 | $44.05 | +34% |
| Skilled trades | $34.80 | $32.28 | +8% | $48.35 | $52.53 | -8% |
| Software and IT * | $41.66 | $51.73 | -19% | $64.47 | $83.80 | -23% |
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.