In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Missouri earned $26.86 an hour against $28.47 in the private sector, a gap of -6%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $48.35 against $62.86 privately (-23%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Healthcare (-20%), Skilled trades (-9%), and Admin and clerical (-4%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+9%) and Management (-3%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Missouri 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 | $26.86 | $28.47 | -6% | $48.35 | $62.86 | -23% |
| Admin and clerical | $21.49 | $22.35 | -4% | $37.61 | $38.68 | -3% |
| Education | $24.52 | $22.56 | +9% | $38.06 | $44.82 | -15% |
| Engineering * | $46.59 | $48.35 | -4% | $53.72 | $80.83 | -34% |
| Finance * | $24.48 | $36.79 | -33% | $49.62 | $103.47 | -52% |
| Healthcare | $28.63 | $35.82 | -20% | $75.73 | $73.68 | +3% |
| Legal * | $39.21 | $42.93 | -9% | $74.77 | $100.21 | -25% |
| Management | $39.17 | $40.31 | -3% | $61.19 | $92.09 | -34% |
| Protective service * | $27.40 | $25.95 | +6% | $47.94 | $51.54 | -7% |
| Skilled trades | $25.79 | $28.47 | -9% | $40.46 | $48.35 | -16% |
| Software and IT * | $40.29 | $45.67 | -12% | $60.42 | $80.59 | -25% |
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.