In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Nevada earned $34.92 an hour against $26.86 in the private sector, a gap of +30%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $63.49 against $60.25 privately (+5%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Management (+1%), Admin and clerical (+23%), and Education (+25%), and government pay holds up best in Protective service (+97%) and Education (+25%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Nevada 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 | $34.92 | $26.86 | +30% | $63.49 | $60.25 | +5% |
| Admin and clerical | $26.51 | $21.49 | +23% | $43.19 | $40.29 | +7% |
| Education | $32.13 | $25.79 | +25% | $48.35 | $50.60 | -4% |
| Engineering * | $57.78 | $51.04 | +13% | $102.83 | $76.19 | +35% |
| Finance * | $36.95 | $34.92 | +6% | $53.72 | $117.80 | -54% |
| Healthcare * | $54.73 | $45.67 | +20% | $87.37 | $93.07 | -6% |
| Legal * | $40.29 | $48.35 | -17% | $84.79 | $153.55 | -45% |
| Management | $42.98 | $42.46 | +1% | $75.54 | $89.79 | -16% |
| Protective service | $40.29 | $20.50 | +97% | $69.78 | $42.47 | +64% |
| Skilled trades * | $37.61 | $27.38 | +37% | $63.06 | $50.29 | +25% |
| Software and IT * | $44.05 | $39.49 | +12% | $62.27 | $79.90 | -22% |
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.