In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Ohio earned $32.66 an hour against $28.47 in the private sector, a gap of +15%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $56.41 against $64.47 privately (-13%). 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 (-6%), Management (0%), and Skilled trades (+2%), and government pay holds up best in Protective service (+69%) and Education (+36%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Ohio 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 | $32.66 | $28.47 | +15% | $56.41 | $64.47 | -13% |
| Admin and clerical | $24.18 | $22.56 | +7% | $40.93 | $39.16 | +5% |
| Education | $32.77 | $24.18 | +36% | $51.58 | $45.67 | +13% |
| Engineering * | $53.72 | $47.76 | +12% | $74.03 | $77.85 | -5% |
| Finance | $40.29 | $38.83 | +4% | $60.71 | $78.29 | -22% |
| Healthcare | $42.98 | $38.89 | +11% | $97.98 | $77.90 | +26% |
| Legal * | $48.35 | $43.94 | +10% | $73.16 | $156.09 | -53% |
| Management | $40.72 | $40.59 | 0% | $67.34 | $89.67 | -25% |
| Protective service | $36.12 | $21.40 | +69% | $56.95 | $38.75 | +47% |
| Skilled trades | $29.01 | $28.47 | +2% | $43.24 | $46.20 | -6% |
| Software and IT | $42.98 | $45.67 | -6% | $68.77 | $80.59 | -15% |
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.