In 2023, the median state and local government worker in New York earned $37.61 an hour against $33.95 in the private sector, a gap of +11%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $69.72 against $89.54 privately (-22%). 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 (-21%), Finance (-21%), and Legal (-8%), and government pay holds up best in Protective service (+93%) and Education (+25%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in New York 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 | $37.61 | $33.95 | +11% | $69.72 | $89.54 | -22% |
| Admin and clerical | $29.47 | $26.33 | +12% | $47.84 | $49.43 | -3% |
| Education | $40.29 | $32.23 | +25% | $68.77 | $64.47 | +7% |
| Engineering | $53.76 | $51.10 | +5% | $71.67 | $86.01 | -17% |
| Finance | $41.38 | $52.65 | -21% | $71.48 | $161.17 | -56% |
| Healthcare | $46.74 | $44.77 | +4% | $80.59 | $94.64 | -15% |
| Legal | $59.56 | $64.47 | -8% | $112.82 | $275.79 | -59% |
| Management | $51.04 | $51.58 | -1% | $80.59 | $128.94 | -37% |
| Protective service | $42.98 | $22.27 | +93% | $74.62 | $43.21 | +73% |
| Skilled trades | $32.95 | $29.02 | +14% | $54.46 | $55.87 | -3% |
| Software and IT | $46.05 | $58.61 | -21% | $73.07 | $123.57 | -41% |
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.