In 2023, the median state and local government worker in New Jersey earned $40.29 an hour against $37.61 in the private sector, a gap of +7%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $69.84 against $96.70 privately (-28%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Software and IT (-28%), Legal (-15%), and Healthcare (-6%), and government pay holds up best in Protective service (+87%) and Education (+42%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in New Jersey 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 | $40.29 | $37.61 | +7% | $69.84 | $96.70 | -28% |
| Admin and clerical | $29.26 | $26.86 | +9% | $49.26 | $53.72 | -8% |
| Education | $39.91 | $28.18 | +42% | $58.56 | $53.72 | +9% |
| Engineering * | $55.34 | $54.76 | +1% | $80.59 | $107.45 | -25% |
| Finance * | $53.25 | $53.72 | -1% | $101.65 | $143.27 | -29% |
| Healthcare | $45.44 | $48.35 | -6% | $81.52 | $93.84 | -13% |
| Legal | $54.71 | $64.47 | -15% | $94.02 | $171.92 | -45% |
| Management | $53.72 | $56.51 | -5% | $85.96 | $128.94 | -33% |
| Protective service | $48.35 | $25.79 | +87% | $80.59 | $64.50 | +25% |
| Skilled trades | $32.23 | $33.31 | -3% | $58.59 | $63.40 | -8% |
| Software and IT | $46.20 | $64.47 | -28% | $89.46 | $110.22 | -19% |
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.