Government pay holds its own at the bottom of the labor market and falls behind at the top. These pages give the unadjusted state view: median and 90th-percentile real hourly wages for state and local government workers against private workers in the same state, by occupation domain, from ACS PUMS 2023. City pages use the city's own payroll file against the metro private sector.
States
| State | Government median $/hr | Private median $/hr | Gap at median | Gap at 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $29.01 | $25.79 | +12% | -5% |
| Alaska | $34.92 | $32.00 | +9% | -14% |
| Arizona | $30.62 | $29.55 | +4% | -22% |
| Arkansas | $25.79 | $24.62 | +5% | -19% |
| California | $39.40 | $33.31 | +18% | -25% |
| Colorado | $33.43 | $34.92 | -4% | -27% |
| Connecticut | $38.16 | $36.66 | +4% | -26% |
| Delaware | $32.23 | $31.06 | +4% | -21% |
| District of Columbia | $52.11 | $51.04 | +2% | -27% |
| Florida | $28.84 | $26.86 | +7% | -16% |
| Georgia | $28.17 | $27.94 | +1% | -25% |
| Hawaii | $32.80 | $29.55 | +11% | -8% |
| Idaho | $29.06 | $27.13 | +7% | -9% |
| Illinois | $34.85 | $32.23 | +8% | -20% |
| Indiana | $27.94 | $27.70 | +1% | -16% |
| Iowa | $29.55 | $27.94 | +6% | -13% |
| Kansas | $26.86 | $27.94 | -4% | -22% |
| Kentucky | $26.86 | $26.86 | 0% | -18% |
| Louisiana | $26.86 | $25.79 | +4% | -15% |
| Maine | $29.28 | $28.80 | +2% | -19% |
| Maryland | $45.67 | $33.31 | +37% | +2% |
| Massachusetts | $40.29 | $40.29 | 0% | -34% |
| Michigan | $32.23 | $28.48 | +13% | -17% |
| Minnesota | $34.38 | $33.09 | +4% | -26% |
| Mississippi | $24.18 | $22.80 | +6% | -2% |
| Missouri | $26.86 | $28.47 | -6% | -23% |
| Montana | $29.55 | $28.02 | +5% | -19% |
| Nebraska | $29.01 | $29.01 | 0% | -11% |
| Nevada | $34.92 | $26.86 | +30% | +5% |
| New Hampshire | $33.77 | $34.28 | -1% | -29% |
| New Jersey | $40.29 | $37.61 | +7% | -28% |
| New Mexico | $29.65 | $25.40 | +17% | -5% |
| New York | $37.61 | $33.95 | +11% | -22% |
| North Carolina | $27.40 | $27.94 | -2% | -30% |
| North Dakota | $32.23 | $29.65 | +9% | +1% |
| Ohio | $32.66 | $28.47 | +15% | -13% |
| Oklahoma | $26.86 | $25.79 | +4% | -16% |
| Oregon | $36.10 | $32.23 | +12% | -21% |
| Pennsylvania | $33.31 | $30.09 | +11% | -15% |
| Rhode Island | $37.61 | $32.23 | +17% | -15% |
| South Carolina | $26.86 | $26.86 | 0% | -23% |
| South Dakota | $28.47 | $26.86 | +6% | -13% |
| Tennessee | $27.94 | $26.86 | +4% | -14% |
| Texas | $28.50 | $27.94 | +2% | -26% |
| US | $32.23 | $30.09 | +7% | -16% |
| Utah | $32.23 | $32.23 | 0% | -20% |
| Vermont | $32.23 | $29.57 | +9% | -18% |
| Virginia | $37.61 | $32.23 | +17% | -3% |
| Washington | $40.29 | $37.61 | +7% | -34% |
| West Virginia | $26.86 | $25.79 | +4% | 0% |
| Wisconsin | $30.70 | $29.55 | +4% | -18% |
| Wyoming | $29.55 | $27.94 | +6% | -8% |
Cities
| City | Payroll year | City median pay | Private median (metro) | Gap at median | Gap at 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 2025 | $95,373 | $78,223 | +22% | -36% |
| Chicago | 2024 | $122,603 | $73,753 | +66% | -15% |
| San Francisco | 2025 | $112,092 | $139,684 | -20% | -45% |
| Seattle | 2024 | $122,217 | $111,747 | +9% | -39% |
| Los Angeles | 2025 | $90,792 | $67,048 | +35% | -11% |