Federal pay ahead of private industry in more than 8 out of 10 occupations

[Contrary1]

"Federal employees earn higher average salaries than private-sector workers in more than eight out of 10 occupations, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data finds.

Accountants, nurses, chemists, surveyors, cooks, clerks and janitors are among the wide range of jobs that get paid more on average in the federal government than in the private sector.

Overall, federal workers earned an average salary of $67,691 in 2008 for occupations that exist both in government and the private sector, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The average pay for the same mix of jobs in the private sector was $60,046 in 2008, the most recent data available.

These salary figures do not include the value of health, pension and other benefits, which averaged $40,785 per federal employee in 2008 vs. $9,882 per private worker, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis..."

More: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-04-federal-pay_N.htm

[d.gibbs]

1. A federal government job is simply the best job to have in America today

unless you're a corporate CEO of course.

For most regular i.e. middle-class people, a federal job is simply the most secure job with the most benefits.

How many private companies have lifetime employment and lifetime pensions and benefits?

[kestrel91316]

2. Well, vets who work for the USDA make WAAAAAYYYYYY more than I do

right now in my pitiful little cat practice, lol, but that's not saying much. Their pay is comparable to salaried private practice vets who work for corporations, IIRC.

In case you're wondering, business ownership is not ALWAYS the road to riches, lol.

[jmowreader]

4. Yeah, but do you really want to inspect meat the rest of your life?

[kestrel91316]

8. Hey, the benefits are great. And you don't inspect, per se, you supervise

inspectors and get to boss packing plant operators around. I would never have made a career out of it, but I may very well do it for a few years after I sell my practice, before retirement. Many vets do it as a sort of "second career".

[Mimosa]

9. Bless you, Kestrel

I love you who take care of the kittehs (and even dogs). I've often wished docs for humans were as caring and involved as veterinarians.

And owning your own business means you work twice as hard as most people.

*BIG HUG*

[mdmc]

3. stick with the UNION and all is good

[ztlore]

5. So who wants a $122,020 job for life as a programmer

with a fat lifetime pension and medical care in retirement

[havocmom]

6. Privatizing = big $$ for corporate execs and lower wages for worker, plus less taxes paid

Frankly, I prefer a well paid federal work force, that is mostly professional workers who pay taxes on their income and might have a bit to spend to help other jobs in their area to the lowest bidder for contracts. I prefer to support jobs that support families to whining that 'government should be run like business' we hear from GOP tools. I prefer that wages for all workers be raised to living wages.

Workers pay taxes and drive the economy. Corporations that have been driving wages down for decades, whining about federal spending while holding their hands out for federal dollars are the villains. But just watch; this payroll info will be used as a talking point by corporations and tax-cut-crazed Republicans to further demonize a pretty efficient work force.

Full disclosure: husband works for federal government, and after 20 years and being a part of the most productive team NRCS has in Montana, makes no where near that 'average salary' of $67,691. One can speculate from that little fact of life that there are a few high salaries driving that 'average' up, just like in corporate America, though not to the same extreme ;)

[earth mom]

7. And they are looking for ways to kill off these jobs too-make no mistake about that.

:grr: