In 2023, the median state and local government worker in North Dakota earned $32.23 an hour against $29.65 in the private sector, a gap of +9%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $59.10 against $58.41 privately (+1%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
Sample sizes by occupation in North Dakota are small; read the domain rows as indicative.
Public vs private pay in North Dakota 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 | $32.23 | $29.65 | +9% | $59.10 | $58.41 | +1% |
| Admin and clerical * | $27.07 | $24.71 | +10% | $47.71 | $39.06 | +22% |
| Education * | $26.86 | $27.02 | -1% | $43.44 | $49.12 | -12% |
| Engineering * | $54.80 | $42.98 | +28% | $57.31 | $81.93 | -30% |
| Finance * | $25.86 | $29.55 | -12% | $38.12 | $69.84 | -45% |
| Healthcare * | $37.61 | $34.92 | +8% | $64.30 | $182.86 | -65% |
| Legal * | $37.60 | $25.18 | +49% | $75.33 | $61.74 | +22% |
| Management * | $48.35 | $39.75 | +22% | $66.52 | $75.74 | -12% |
| Protective service * | $30.45 | $23.45 | +30% | $49.88 | $25.79 | +93% |
| Skilled trades * | $32.85 | $30.87 | +6% | $70.76 | $51.80 | +37% |
| Software and IT * | $32.79 | $45.77 | -28% | $45.32 | $70.70 | -36% |
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.