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I am an attorney in private practice. Recently, I spoke with a federal bureaucrat who started at a low level job with the government about the time I started practicing law. He got several promotions over the years and is a mid-level employee at this point. He just turned 54 and I am 56. He recently told me he would be retiring later this year and will receive $87,000 a year in pension for the rest of his life. On top of that he just needs a few more quarters of employment to qualify for social security benefits (his government job was so demanding over the years that he was able to work part time as well). So he's going to be making over $100,000 a year throughout his retirement years. Trust me, I've worked a great deal harder over the years, with much more risk and stress and have not been able to put myself in a position to do this well in retirement. Nor, can I retire at age 55. Government jobs are the way to go. Most of the governmet workers I know could not hold down a job a Walmart but are pulling down 60-80 K a year and acting POed about it.

Amen. You speak the truth. It really is a scandal, but someday this will come crashing down, it will take years, but it will come crashing down. The local and state pensions will be the first to go.

I think you can even make a case that it is corrupt.

Out of curiosity sake, please least his salary and your salary for:

1. Starting pay

2. Five years of experience

3. Ten years of experience

4. Twenty years experience

*He recently told me he would be retiring later this year and will receive $87,000 a year in pension for the rest of his life.*

I’m pretty sure this is mathematically impossible, unless he started working for the feds when he was 16 and is now an SES employee retiring under the old system...and even them I’m not sure it’s mathematically possible.

E.g. http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0306/033106rp.htm

Like you just said, he started out at a low level job. After spending 7 years in school to become an attorney he prob was making a lot less than you when you started in private practice. If it took him 25 or 30 years to get where he is at, I don't see a problem with it. If you are not a very good attorney and have failed at your chosen profession, then that is your problem. I've been working in civil service over 20 years and personally, IMHO, any grad student that wants into civil service is throwing his/her degree away.

As far as his pension goes, do you know if he is CSRS or FSRS? All employees hired after 1983 are mandatory FSRS. He will NOT get $87K a year for the rest of his life if he is in FSRS, his 401K will run out before his 70's. If he is in CSRS, he has paid a butt load of cash out of his paycheck into his retirement.