In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Texas earned $28.50 an hour against $27.94 in the private sector, a gap of +2%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $53.72 against $72.53 privately (-26%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Software and IT (-30%), Engineering (-23%), and Finance (-19%), and government pay holds up best in Protective service (+71%) and Education (+16%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Texas 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 | $28.50 | $27.94 | +2% | $53.72 | $72.53 | -26% |
| Admin and clerical | $22.56 | $22.35 | +1% | $39.22 | $42.98 | -9% |
| Education | $27.94 | $24.18 | +16% | $38.68 | $41.91 | -8% |
| Engineering | $43.96 | $56.73 | -23% | $70.93 | $107.45 | -34% |
| Finance | $34.92 | $42.98 | -19% | $57.21 | $91.33 | -37% |
| Healthcare | $39.47 | $39.22 | +1% | $98.60 | $77.72 | +27% |
| Legal | $47.76 | $46.89 | +2% | $89.29 | $185.00 | -52% |
| Management | $38.25 | $44.59 | -14% | $72.53 | $107.45 | -32% |
| Protective service | $32.23 | $18.80 | +71% | $56.28 | $46.48 | +21% |
| Skilled trades | $24.87 | $24.18 | +3% | $44.01 | $44.76 | -2% |
| Software and IT | $37.61 | $53.72 | -30% | $61.78 | $91.87 | -33% |
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.