In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Oregon earned $36.10 an hour against $32.23 in the private sector, a gap of +12%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $59.69 against $75.21 privately (-21%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Management (+8%), Admin and clerical (+10%), and Education (+30%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+30%) and Admin and clerical (+10%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Oregon 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 | $36.10 | $32.23 | +12% | $59.69 | $75.21 | -21% |
| Admin and clerical | $26.86 | $24.49 | +10% | $42.98 | $42.98 | 0% |
| Education | $33.40 | $25.79 | +30% | $51.84 | $47.43 | +9% |
| Engineering * | $56.05 | $56.41 | -1% | $75.85 | $94.02 | -19% |
| Finance * | $37.33 | $40.29 | -7% | $65.03 | $85.96 | -24% |
| Healthcare * | $52.11 | $50.74 | +3% | $128.95 | $89.72 | +44% |
| Legal * | $58.06 | $47.58 | +22% | $91.00 | $115.43 | -21% |
| Management | $46.51 | $42.98 | +8% | $67.69 | $107.45 | -37% |
| Protective service * | $40.12 | $23.65 | +70% | $59.58 | $42.89 | +39% |
| Skilled trades * | $32.23 | $29.55 | +9% | $53.22 | $53.72 | -1% |
| Software and IT * | $40.29 | $54.98 | -27% | $60.13 | $100.47 | -40% |
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.