In 2023, the median state and local government worker in South Carolina earned $26.86 an hour against $26.86 in the private sector, a gap of 0%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $49.76 against $64.47 privately (-23%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Healthcare (-8%), Management (+1%), and Skilled trades (+4%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+14%) and Admin and clerical (+7%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in South Carolina 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 | $26.86 | 0% | $49.76 | $64.47 | -23% |
| Admin and clerical | $23.22 | $21.72 | +7% | $40.05 | $40.29 | -1% |
| Education | $25.75 | $22.49 | +14% | $41.56 | $43.30 | -4% |
| Engineering * | $48.35 | $48.35 | 0% | $64.47 | $80.59 | -20% |
| Finance * | $26.86 | $37.89 | -29% | $56.20 | $88.73 | -37% |
| Healthcare | $32.98 | $35.82 | -8% | $66.63 | $73.13 | -9% |
| Legal * | $42.98 | $31.16 | +38% | $75.21 | $175.14 | -57% |
| Management | $40.69 | $40.29 | +1% | $71.56 | $95.59 | -25% |
| Protective service * | $25.58 | $21.28 | +20% | $42.98 | $53.51 | -20% |
| Skilled trades | $26.86 | $25.79 | +4% | $52.19 | $44.54 | +17% |
| Software and IT * | $33.91 | $43.00 | -21% | $67.40 | $80.59 | -16% |
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.