In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Tennessee earned $27.94 an hour against $26.86 in the private sector, a gap of +4%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $53.72 against $62.32 privately (-14%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Healthcare (-14%), Management (-3%), and Skilled trades (+2%), and government pay holds up best in Admin and clerical (+13%) and Education (+8%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Tennessee 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 | $27.94 | $26.86 | +4% | $53.72 | $62.32 | -14% |
| Admin and clerical | $24.21 | $21.49 | +13% | $42.98 | $37.48 | +15% |
| Education | $26.86 | $24.90 | +8% | $40.63 | $45.17 | -10% |
| Engineering * | $53.68 | $47.28 | +14% | $75.21 | $75.21 | 0% |
| Finance * | $29.55 | $38.68 | -24% | $69.70 | $83.45 | -16% |
| Healthcare | $32.23 | $37.61 | -14% | $64.47 | $80.56 | -20% |
| Legal * | $46.43 | $45.13 | +3% | $97.67 | $115.01 | -15% |
| Management | $37.50 | $38.68 | -3% | $72.53 | $89.54 | -19% |
| Protective service * | $26.86 | $22.54 | +19% | $48.18 | $44.38 | +9% |
| Skilled trades | $26.24 | $25.79 | +2% | $49.43 | $45.67 | +8% |
| Software and IT * | $40.29 | $42.98 | -6% | $65.33 | $80.59 | -19% |
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.