In 2023, the median state and local government worker in US earned $32.23 an hour against $30.09 in the private sector, a gap of +7%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $63.40 against $75.21 privately (-16%). 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 (-18%), Finance (-12%), and Management (-5%), and government pay holds up best in Protective service (+66%) and Education (+14%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in US 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 | $32.23 | $30.09 | +7% | $63.40 | $75.21 | -16% |
| Admin and clerical | $26.14 | $23.64 | +11% | $44.05 | $42.98 | +2% |
| Education | $30.09 | $26.33 | +14% | $52.80 | $52.65 | 0% |
| Engineering | $53.72 | $53.72 | 0% | $80.59 | $96.70 | -17% |
| Finance | $37.61 | $42.98 | -12% | $67.16 | $104.76 | -36% |
| Healthcare | $40.83 | $40.59 | +1% | $87.15 | $88.65 | -2% |
| Legal | $51.58 | $51.58 | 0% | $94.56 | $181.23 | -48% |
| Management | $42.98 | $45.37 | -5% | $77.36 | $107.45 | -28% |
| Protective service | $35.69 | $21.49 | +66% | $64.47 | $48.89 | +32% |
| Skilled trades | $30.09 | $26.86 | +12% | $52.11 | $51.04 | +2% |
| Software and IT | $44.05 | $53.72 | -18% | $74.14 | $107.45 | -31% |
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.