Here is a sampling of the Bureau of Labor Statistics data listed in USA Today: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.
Guess my first reaction is to say that I am not too surprised by this. It is just another outrageous example of how our government has lost its connection to the country.
Job Federal Private Difference Airline pilot, copilot, flight engineer $93,690 $120,012 -$26,322 Broadcast technician $90,310 $49,265 $41,045 Budget analyst $73,140 $65,532 $7,608 Chemist $98,060 $72,120 $25,940 Civil engineer $85,970 $76,184 $9,786 Clergy $70,460 $39,247 $31,213 Computer, information systems manager $122,020 $115,705 $6,315 Computer support specialist $45,830 $54,875 -$9,045 Cook $38,400 $23,279 $15,121 Crane, tower operator $54,900 $44,044 $10,856 Dental assistant $36,170 $32,069 $4,101 Economist $101,020 $91,065 $9,955 Editors $42,210 $54,803 -$12,593 Electrical engineer $86,400 $84,653 $1,747 Financial analysts $87,400 $81,232 $6,168 Graphic designer $70,820 $46,565 $24,255 Highway maintenance worker $42,720 $31,376 $11,344 Janitor $30,110 $24,188 $5,922 Landscape architects $80,830 $58,380 $22,450 Laundry, dry-cleaning worker $33,100 $19,945 $13,155 Lawyer $123,660 $126,763 -$3,103 Librarian $76,110 $63,284 $12,826 Locomotive engineer $48,440 $63,125 -$14,685 Machinist $51,530 $44,315 $7,215 Mechanical engineer $88,690 $77,554 $11,136 Office clerk $34,260 $29,863 $4,397 Optometrist $61,530 $106,665 -$45,135 Paralegals $60,340 $48,890 $11,450 Pest control worker $48,670 $33,675 $14,995 Physicians, surgeons $176,050 $177,102 -$1,052 Physician assistant $77,770 $87,783 -$10,013 Procurement clerk $40,640 $34,082 $6,558 Public relations manager $132,410 $88,241 $44,169 Recreation worker $43,630 $21,671 $21,959 Registered nurse $74,460 $63,780 $10,680 Respiratory therapist $46,740 $50,443 -$3,703 Secretary $44,500 $33,829 $10,671 Sheet metal worker $49,700 $43,725 $5,975 Statistician $88,520 $78,065 $10,455 Surveyor $78,710 $67,336 $11,374
My impressions of government workers resonated with this survey when I worked as a contractor for the US Department of Agriculture. The government employees seemed to be a part of some sort of full-employment legislation - and they acted like it. I came away from my tenure at the USDA with a very dim view of government bureaucracy.. and seeing these stats does not enhance that view at all.
What are your impressions of government employee compensation? Did these stats surprise you? What do you think the disparity in health, pension and other benefits?
If you want to consider the governmental gravy train, think about our Congressmen. If we were smart, we'd run for office.
ReplyDeleteI would say that the clergy category is woefully underpaid in the private sector though... especially since a lot of churches expect MDiv degrees.
ReplyDelete@Sue - I wonder what the private sector version of a congressmen would be?
ReplyDelete@Shane - A lot of pastors out there working for next to nothing.. I was one of those :) ..I often think that teachers are probably the best private sector profession to compare with clergy.. given that the salary numbers may not be too far off.
Never mind, they're right now in the process of totally bankrupting everyone including themselves so no more lush pensions for malfunctioning civil servants!
ReplyDelete@CrsisMaven - thanks for stopping by and for the link.
ReplyDelete