Why Federal Workers Deserve What They're Paid

The Washington Post ^ | February 3, 2010 | Joe Davidson

[Poundstone]

Excerpt: The budget answers critics, including Scott Brown, the newly elected Republican senator from Massachusetts, who say federal civilians earn much more than private-sector workers. There's a reason for that. Federal workers are better educated.

"The Federal Government hires lawyers to tackle corruption, security professionals to monitor our borders, doctors to care for our injured veterans, and world-class scientists to combat deadly diseases such as cancer," the budget says. "Because of these vital needs, the Federal Government hires a relatively highly educated workforce, resulting in higher average pay."

Consider these stats: Twenty percent of federal workers have a master's, professional or doctorate degree, compared with 13 percent in the private sector. Fifty-one percent of federal employees have a college degree of some sort, but only 35 percent do in the private sector.

Frankie and Flo may not be smarter than other folks, but they do have more schooling, and they get paid accordingly. They are also substantially older, and that contributes to higher pay -- 46 percent of federal employees are 50 or older, compared with 31 percent of private-sector workers.

Although the section doesn't say so, comparing overall federal and private-sector pay is misleading in another way, because Uncle Sam doesn't employ many people at the bottom of the wage scale the way industry does.

Job-for-job comparisons tell a completely different story. In fact, government figures indicate that federal employees are underpaid by 26 percent compared with their counterparts in similar position in the business world.

[mad_as_he$$]

Yea I was wandering about that also. A Navy Lt makes about $39,000 base pay.

[mad_as_he$$]

Oh I agree. I make a bunch of money teaching companies the lost art of customer service. It is the wage inequity i take issue with.

[Night Hides Not]

Actually, with all the outsourcing and H1B pressure in private industry, the federal works have probably made the smart decision by going to the government for work. Frankly, I’m so sick of what goes on in private industry, I would gladly work a government or union job, but if my current job goes away, I will probably try starting a business first, that has been my dream for a long time. Then if that doesn’t work, I’ll look for a gov/union teat. hehe

I learned the hard way that the average life span of a small company controller/CFO in today's world is about 18 months.

I've also learned that the big accounting firms have laid off at least 25% of their staff over the past 18 months.

I have been through dozens of interviews being told that my "resume is too strong."

The recruiters I've worked with in the past for numerous contract positions don't call anymore, because they have entire stables of prized "Big 4" CPAs.

I'm now a federal employee on a two-year contract where I can see a definite path upward, with stability and benefits, to boot.

It's been my experience that the private sector discriminates on age, and the feds have been taking advantage of it. On my floor, there's no one under the age of 45, and you just can't imagine what a pleasant working environment we have. Most of us are so happy to be working, it's unbelievable.

[sig226]

Here’s the reason why the upper management people in the government are not getting paid in the high six or seven figures: Those jobs are already filled. They’re not going to hire Mr. Fedemployee to run the new division at Intel. They’ve already got somebody. So he can’t get the top paying job and he starts to look at lower paying tiers. It turns out that he actually does rather well for himself, if he’s careful and a bit shrewd. He won’t live in Trump Tower, but he will not want for very much. He also has the opportunity to use his knowledge from his government job to go into some private employer field. The ability to navigate bureaucracy can be worth a lot of money to the right companies.

[muawiyah]

Virtually all mail distribution work at USPS is done AT NIGHT. Maintenance takes place during the daytime. Carriers go to work REAL EARLY and then are on their own on the street for many hours each day.

Due to the nature of the business there are some senior maintenance people who work nights and are expected to handle emergency equipment failures rapidly and effectively. I would imagine they stand around with their thumbs (you know where) if they do their jobs right the first time.

Then there are the air conditioning guys. USPS doesn't pay enough so they have to constantly train new AC people.

Oh, a luxury item, AC in the post office ~ sure ~ what happens is mail is paper. A modest rise in temperature brings a modest rise in humidity and the paper doesn't move correctly through the mechanized systems. Next thing you know the mail is not getting sorted, and when that happens delivery is delayed.

There are many USPS managers who'd be happy to dispense with the AC systems ~ they're costly and require maintenance. But, the public would have them flensed.

[dennisw]

There’s always someone around who imagines that federal employees do nothing all day and still get paid.

That’s always been my impression of the source of the complaint.
____________________
____________________

Some Federal workers are useful and work their butts off. But many are totally useless, do nothing useful to society all day and are overpaid affirmative action dopes

Offhand we could easily get by with half the number of Federal workers. Take the newly created Federal Department of Education. This came with a new cabinet post created. This whole department could be eliminated

The Feds have hijacked far too many areas that are enumerated to the States. And off course hired millions of Democrat party lard asses to staff this bureaucracy

[muawiyah]

Sometimes the "paper" that clerk handles is very sensitive stuff ~ so you are not just paying for someone to find it, you are paying them to keep their mouths shut.

[j-damn]

*“”Good article that really lays out the facts behind federal employment and benefits, in contrast to a lot of the know-nothing criticisms heard here and in other places!””

Oh yes. You are so right. I renewed my driver’s license last week and there were dozens of rocket surgeons behind the counter.*

FEDERAL employees work at your local DMV?

[shove_it]

My initial reaction to this post was that this must be satire but it is serious. So I looked through your prior posts and found that you are a federal government employee with time on your hands to be a fairly frequent flyer on
FR during business hours with a distinct agenda on this issue of government work. The term “close enough for government work” used to be a distinction of pride - it has now degenerated into exactly the opposite - a mark of derision - and for good reason as repeatedly shown in prior replies.

In private business, in my experience, there is no time for such frivolity as posting on FR or any other such unproductive activity to the enterprise.

[ozarkgirl]

He probably means the max out of pocket is $7500. Where I work a family max out of pocket is $9,150 - for myself (employee plus one) it’s $6100. That’s the max I have to pay after my $3000 deductible and 10% co-pay.

I don’t mean to be snoopy USN but what is your deductible? You don’t have to answer.

[sitetest]

Dear muawiyah,

My experience is that ordinarily, that paper that the clerk handles should have been eliminated in the Reagan administration. LOL.

sitetest

[vbmoneyspender]

If the USPS didn't have a monopoly along with the implicit backing of the federal gov't, bankers would have real questions about whether the USPS can continue to operate. In fact, even with the monopoly, serious questions exist about the continued viability of the USPS - which is on the GAO's 'high risk' list of federal agencies.

The U.S. Postal Service urgently needs restructuring to meet rapidly declining mail volume and must immediately cut costs, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office. The Congressional auditing agency today added the nation's mail delivery service to its list of "high risk" federal government agencies and programs that either need a massive overhaul or cost taxpayers billions of dollars in waste, fraud, abuse or mismanagement.

“There are serious and significant structural financial challenges currently facing the Postal Service," acting GAO director Gene L. Dodaro said in a statement.

The mail service has suffered as customers continue to choose e-mail and online bill payment programs over snail mail and as the recession has cut overall business spending. The Postal Service also faces significant infrastructural and personnel costs, including hefty payments to a retiree benefits program, Dodaro noted.

[muawiyah]

Hmm ~ millions?

The federal bureaucracy today is pretty much the size of the federal bureaucy years ago.

Computerization has made the difference.

If the entirity of the United States were as computerized as the federal government 2/3 of our available workforce would be UNIMPLOYED.

The robots are winning.

[muawiyah]

The current problem USPS faces is a substantial decline in advertising revenues. I think you'll find CBS and every major newspaper in the United States facing the same problem.

First end the Obama Depression. Then we'll talk.

And GAO talks a good game but over the years I've noticed they have far more than their fair share of economic idiots.

[TankerKC]

Military comp.

Table 1 is ridiculous. An E-1 makes $70K in pay and benefits? Please!

[dennisw]

Is this factoring in their cadillac insurance plans, insane retirement benefit packages and job counseling, “golden parachutes” when they get bumped for political reasons and virtually fire-proof employment contracts? No, huh?

Carefully watch the language of gubber'mint workers when they are agitating for a new contract. They will alawys complain that they are underpaid compared to the police or the teachers or gubber'mint workers in the next county over or a neighboring state. They never compare themselves to private sector wages because this would blow their scam

You find me a gubber'mint worker and I guarantee he has every vacation day on his calendar circled and highlighted
Plus they are pissed off that other gubber'mint workers somewhere are making more than him or have better pension or medical. The private sector means nothing to them except to keep paying taxes for their bloated salaries and bennies

[jwalsh07]

Please what?

I think soldiers are under paid in salary. I made 300 a month when I was in the Army.

But the numbers are what the numbers are according to CBO.

You have better numbers, I'm fine with that. But "please" is not a convincing argument.

[vbmoneyspender]

I think you'll find CBS and every major newspaper in the United States facing the same problem.

Earth to muawiyah: many major newspapers have gone out of business and more are on the way.

People in the private sector are very aware that their company could go out of business if they operate at a loss - but apparently people in the govt' sector think it is something to laugh at when the agency they work for loses 7 billion in a single year.

[dennisw]

Federal workers now have double -- DOUBLE! -- the average compensation of private sector workers

Median public sector pay long ago left median private sector pay in the dust. Yet the canard that government workers deserve heavy benefits and lavish pensions because they don't make as much as those in the private sector continues to be trotted out as if it were an obvious truth.

Bunk. Just look at the graphics above that Chris Edwards of Cato found in a new round of official data for federal employees.

The second graphic shows total compensation for federal employees is now double that of private sector workers.

What makes this particularly amazing to me is that this has happened even though federal employee unions aren't seen as having all that much clout in Washington D.C. Somehow, they're doing even better than state and local government workers in places like public employee union-controlled California. Hat tip to wonderful PensionTsunami.com.