In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Nebraska earned $29.01 an hour against $29.01 in the private sector, a gap of 0%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $53.72 against $60.17 privately (-11%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Management (-6%), Education (+15%), and Admin and clerical (+18%), and government pay holds up best in Admin and clerical (+18%) and Education (+15%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Nebraska 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 | $29.01 | $29.01 | 0% | $53.72 | $60.17 | -11% |
| Admin and clerical | $25.34 | $21.49 | +18% | $44.68 | $37.61 | +19% |
| Education | $27.94 | $24.24 | +15% | $43.29 | $42.98 | +1% |
| Engineering * | $60.92 | $43.00 | +42% | $79.78 | $73.26 | +9% |
| Finance * | $33.85 | $40.29 | -16% | $41.62 | $96.90 | -57% |
| Healthcare * | $26.82 | $37.61 | -29% | $93.70 | $80.54 | +16% |
| Legal * | $47.18 | $33.13 | +42% | $89.54 | $88.29 | +1% |
| Management | $37.40 | $39.76 | -6% | $65.56 | $88.57 | -26% |
| Protective service * | $39.34 | $31.96 | +23% | $47.63 | $65.22 | -27% |
| Skilled trades * | $27.94 | $28.47 | -2% | $49.94 | $42.98 | +16% |
| Software and IT * | $42.30 | $48.35 | -13% | $64.47 | $85.96 | -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.