In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Vermont earned $32.23 an hour against $29.57 in the private sector, a gap of +9%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $52.80 against $64.47 privately (-18%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
Sample sizes by occupation in Vermont are small; read the domain rows as indicative.
Public vs private pay in Vermont 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 | $29.57 | +9% | $52.80 | $64.47 | -18% |
| Admin and clerical * | $24.44 | $24.43 | 0% | $39.47 | $33.59 | +18% |
| Education * | $31.02 | $36.14 | -14% | $42.76 | $52.72 | -19% |
| Engineering * | $42.32 | $42.98 | -2% | $48.61 | $136.29 | -64% |
| Finance * | $39.62 | $30.38 | +30% | $60.71 | $80.35 | -24% |
| Healthcare * | $52.71 | $41.79 | +26% | $67.07 | $94.09 | -29% |
| Legal * | $46.35 | $67.37 | -31% | $72.11 | $250.44 | -71% |
| Management * | $36.94 | $41.34 | -11% | $54.29 | $94.58 | -43% |
| Protective service * | $36.00 | $32.65 | +10% | $60.53 | $33.31 | +82% |
| Skilled trades * | $30.83 | $27.08 | +14% | $41.17 | $51.22 | -20% |
| Software and IT * | $40.19 | $59.07 | -32% | $75.21 | $104.69 | -28% |
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.