In 2023, the median state and local government worker in Wisconsin earned $30.70 an hour against $29.55 in the private sector, a gap of +4%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $50.76 against $61.78 privately (-18%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Management (-10%), Skilled trades (+2%), and Healthcare (+4%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+25%) and Admin and clerical (+7%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in Wisconsin 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 | $30.70 | $29.55 | +4% | $50.76 | $61.78 | -18% |
| Admin and clerical | $25.79 | $24.18 | +7% | $40.29 | $40.29 | 0% |
| Education | $29.01 | $23.20 | +25% | $47.28 | $42.98 | +10% |
| Engineering * | $49.31 | $45.67 | +8% | $56.95 | $71.59 | -20% |
| Finance * | $32.23 | $40.04 | -20% | $43.04 | $85.27 | -50% |
| Healthcare | $41.79 | $40.29 | +4% | $120.83 | $84.45 | +43% |
| Legal * | $36.67 | $40.83 | -10% | $75.18 | $119.63 | -37% |
| Management | $38.68 | $42.98 | -10% | $66.63 | $85.96 | -22% |
| Protective service * | $36.53 | $24.66 | +48% | $48.35 | $48.25 | 0% |
| Skilled trades | $32.23 | $31.59 | +2% | $47.60 | $52.09 | -9% |
| Software and IT * | $41.91 | $44.05 | -5% | $53.84 | $76.09 | -29% |
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.