In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Washington earned $40.29 an hour against $37.61 in the private sector, a gap of +7%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $67.16 against $101.54 privately (-34%). 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 (-37%), Engineering (-13%), and Management (-7%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+35%) and Healthcare (+14%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Washington 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 | $40.29 | $37.61 | +7% | $67.16 | $101.54 | -34% |
| Admin and clerical | $30.62 | $26.86 | +14% | $50.14 | $48.35 | +4% |
| Education | $40.59 | $30.09 | +35% | $59.12 | $53.72 | +10% |
| Engineering | $53.72 | $61.78 | -13% | $75.53 | $101.34 | -25% |
| Finance * | $40.29 | $46.20 | -13% | $64.47 | $96.70 | -33% |
| Healthcare | $53.72 | $47.04 | +14% | $102.08 | $107.45 | -5% |
| Legal * | $47.62 | $57.68 | -17% | $107.45 | $159.66 | -33% |
| Management | $50.02 | $53.72 | -7% | $78.84 | $128.94 | -39% |
| Protective service * | $44.29 | $27.31 | +62% | $72.74 | $51.58 | +41% |
| Skilled trades | $37.61 | $33.85 | +11% | $64.47 | $60.71 | +6% |
| Software and IT | $51.04 | $80.59 | -37% | $69.84 | $161.17 | -57% |
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.