In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Pennsylvania earned $33.31 an hour against $30.09 in the private sector, a gap of +11%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $59.10 against $69.84 privately (-15%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Finance (-19%), Legal (-16%), and Software and IT (-12%), and government pay holds up best in Protective service (+75%) and Education (+28%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Pennsylvania 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 | $33.31 | $30.09 | +11% | $59.10 | $69.84 | -15% |
| Admin and clerical | $24.92 | $23.47 | +6% | $40.29 | $40.83 | -1% |
| Education | $35.82 | $27.94 | +28% | $53.72 | $53.72 | 0% |
| Engineering * | $53.72 | $51.58 | +4% | $82.95 | $86.28 | -4% |
| Finance | $34.92 | $42.98 | -19% | $60.07 | $102.49 | -41% |
| Healthcare | $40.29 | $41.79 | -4% | $77.66 | $93.04 | -17% |
| Legal | $42.96 | $51.00 | -16% | $78.65 | $147.61 | -47% |
| Management | $44.00 | $42.98 | +2% | $75.09 | $107.45 | -30% |
| Protective service | $39.22 | $22.35 | +75% | $64.61 | $47.65 | +36% |
| Skilled trades | $31.15 | $30.68 | +2% | $41.52 | $53.22 | -22% |
| Software and IT | $43.72 | $49.96 | -12% | $80.59 | $88.65 | -9% |
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.