In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Virginia earned $37.61 an hour against $32.23 in the private sector, a gap of +17%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $80.59 against $83.27 privately (-3%). 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 (-3%), Engineering (+5%), and Skilled trades (+6%), and government pay holds up best in Finance (+24%) and Protective service (+23%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Virginia 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 | $37.61 | $32.23 | +17% | $80.59 | $83.27 | -3% |
| Admin and clerical | $27.25 | $24.18 | +13% | $63.43 | $44.28 | +43% |
| Education | $29.55 | $25.29 | +17% | $48.35 | $61.82 | -22% |
| Engineering | $59.10 | $56.32 | +5% | $80.59 | $97.37 | -17% |
| Finance | $58.56 | $47.28 | +24% | $88.40 | $114.07 | -23% |
| Healthcare | $45.13 | $39.59 | +14% | $89.48 | $95.51 | -6% |
| Legal | $71.99 | $58.69 | +23% | $102.08 | $236.78 | -57% |
| Management | $59.10 | $48.35 | +22% | $92.60 | $107.45 | -14% |
| Protective service | $34.38 | $27.98 | +23% | $70.28 | $70.95 | -1% |
| Skilled trades | $28.47 | $26.84 | +6% | $51.58 | $48.35 | +7% |
| Software and IT | $60.17 | $62.32 | -3% | $86.83 | $102.08 | -15% |
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.