In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Mississippi earned $24.18 an hour against $22.80 in the private sector, a gap of +6%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $49.96 against $51.04 privately (-2%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Admin and clerical (-2%), Healthcare (0%), and Management (+5%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+29%) and Management (+5%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Mississippi 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 | $24.18 | $22.80 | +6% | $49.96 | $51.04 | -2% |
| Admin and clerical | $19.04 | $19.34 | -2% | $41.25 | $33.85 | +22% |
| Education | $24.18 | $18.76 | +29% | $35.82 | $31.18 | +15% |
| Engineering * | $42.98 | $38.20 | +13% | $64.22 | $67.01 | -4% |
| Finance * | $26.79 | $35.44 | -24% | $61.64 | $66.84 | -8% |
| Healthcare | $32.23 | $32.23 | 0% | $70.10 | $63.43 | +11% |
| Legal * | $51.15 | $29.55 | +73% | $95.31 | $64.40 | +48% |
| Management | $33.71 | $32.23 | +5% | $53.11 | $70.86 | -25% |
| Protective service * | $22.39 | $18.79 | +19% | $49.75 | $24.72 | +101% |
| Skilled trades * | $17.19 | $26.22 | -34% | $44.60 | $48.35 | -8% |
| Software and IT * | $37.73 | $34.39 | +10% | $64.47 | $58.62 | +10% |
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.