In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Oklahoma earned $26.86 an hour against $25.79 in the private sector, a gap of +4%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $48.95 against $58.61 privately (-16%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Admin and clerical (0%), Management (+1%), and Healthcare (+7%), and government pay holds up best in Skilled trades (+19%) and Education (+13%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Oklahoma 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 | $26.86 | $25.79 | +4% | $48.95 | $58.61 | -16% |
| Admin and clerical | $21.49 | $21.49 | 0% | $36.02 | $38.75 | -7% |
| Education | $23.48 | $20.86 | +13% | $35.56 | $37.61 | -5% |
| Engineering * | $48.95 | $48.35 | +1% | $77.77 | $78.89 | -1% |
| Finance * | $28.36 | $37.48 | -24% | $54.99 | $86.51 | -36% |
| Healthcare | $36.53 | $34.08 | +7% | $126.25 | $77.27 | +63% |
| Legal * | $43.06 | $34.11 | +26% | $77.30 | $134.31 | -42% |
| Management | $36.28 | $35.82 | +1% | $53.73 | $79.64 | -33% |
| Protective service * | $26.86 | $19.68 | +36% | $45.67 | $44.72 | +2% |
| Skilled trades | $29.34 | $24.58 | +19% | $40.29 | $45.56 | -12% |
| Software and IT * | $38.14 | $37.42 | +2% | $56.99 | $72.01 | -21% |
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.