In 2023, the median state and local government worker in New Hampshire earned $33.77 an hour against $34.28 in the private sector, a gap of -1%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $57.31 against $80.59 privately (-29%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
Sample sizes by occupation in New Hampshire are small; read the domain rows as indicative.
Public vs private pay in New Hampshire 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 | $33.77 | $34.28 | -1% | $57.31 | $80.59 | -29% |
| Admin and clerical * | $26.19 | $26.68 | -2% | $43.26 | $44.59 | -3% |
| Education * | $31.04 | $30.09 | +3% | $48.05 | $69.40 | -31% |
| Engineering * | $53.72 | $51.04 | +5% | $76.22 | $87.63 | -13% |
| Finance * | $44.44 | $42.98 | +3% | $82.21 | $78.76 | +4% |
| Healthcare * | $39.11 | $46.74 | -16% | $75.51 | $94.08 | -20% |
| Legal * | $26.58 | $29.27 | -9% | $57.45 | $111.72 | -49% |
| Management * | $41.91 | $48.35 | -13% | $61.77 | $107.45 | -43% |
| Protective service * | $35.57 | $20.52 | +73% | $68.53 | $49.27 | +39% |
| Skilled trades * | $29.95 | $30.09 | 0% | $42.98 | $53.72 | -20% |
| Software and IT * | $30.85 | $64.47 | -52% | $66.73 | $101.93 | -35% |
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.