In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Utah earned $32.23 an hour against $32.23 in the private sector, a gap of 0%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $58.02 against $72.53 privately (-20%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Education (+1%), Admin and clerical (+2%), and Management (+3%), and government pay holds up best in Skilled trades (+22%) and Management (+3%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Utah 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 | $32.23 | 0% | $58.02 | $72.53 | -20% |
| Admin and clerical | $24.18 | $23.64 | +2% | $44.40 | $44.05 | +1% |
| Education | $30.09 | $29.87 | +1% | $53.72 | $57.81 | -7% |
| Engineering * | $47.81 | $51.58 | -7% | $64.76 | $90.06 | -28% |
| Finance * | $32.23 | $44.28 | -27% | $46.45 | $100.83 | -54% |
| Healthcare * | $40.68 | $40.49 | 0% | $120.88 | $85.96 | +41% |
| Legal * | $47.14 | $61.42 | -23% | $96.11 | $230.37 | -58% |
| Management | $44.10 | $42.98 | +3% | $69.88 | $89.10 | -22% |
| Protective service * | $35.97 | $23.10 | +56% | $58.95 | $40.40 | +46% |
| Skilled trades | $32.23 | $26.33 | +22% | $45.88 | $45.56 | +1% |
| Software and IT * | $44.88 | $50.45 | -11% | $59.81 | $81.18 | -26% |
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.