Overpaid feds, really?

Could you make more money if you did the same job you are doing now in the private sector? Or, are you making more (in some cases lots more) than your nonfederal counterparts?

The answer: Yes!

The issue of whether federal employees are overpaid or underpaid has been around for long time. It peaked a few years ago when USA Today ran a front page story that said feds were paid more than workers in the private sector. That was followed by stories — in that paper and elsewhere — showing feds were overpaid (or at least paid more) in many other categories. There were a few feeble (as in mostly ignored) stories to explain that the reason for any pay advantage in the government is the highly professional nature of most government work. In other words, Uncle Sam doesn’t do retail.

The publicity surrounding the federal vs. private sector pay “gap” made it easier for the administration, then Congress, to freeze pay raises for three years. Then to limit feds to a 1 percent pay adjustment in 2014 and this year.

The issue of overpaid feds came up again when a North Carolina congressman introduced a bill that would cut salaries for anyone in government making $100,000 or more. A column on that subject drew lots of comments.

Some of the best explanations come from in-house. From people who work for the government who are also familiar with the private sector. Like the following comments from two different readers:

• “Conservatives and liberals are always grappling over whether civil servants are overpaid or underpaid. The most believable report (or actually summary of a report) I read was that some are, some aren’t, and the more educated and/or high demand professional tends to be underpaid and those living in high cost of living areas also tend to be overpaid.

  “Conversely, those with less education (clerical, wage grade) and those in low cost-of-living areas tend to be overpaid.

  “That agrees with my personal observations over a quarter of a century career. When I started in a low cost-of-living area, the secretaries (now admin assistants) were paid twice as much as in the neighboring city. Now I’m in D.C. and the contractors who support often have higher salaries that those from whom they are taking direction (not the annual cost of the contract — their actual salary).

  “The irony is that since those making over $100k are going to be more educated (at least a bachelor’s and probably disproportionately have post graduate degrees) and live in the high cost-of-living areas — these are the ones who DON’T deserve to have their salaries cut.” Vermin 8

• “Yes, that’s the big difference between government and the private sector. You don’t have the extremes between the highest paid and lowest paid employees in government. Lower skilled government employees, especially those who have been working long enough to get several step increases, do significantly better than in the private sector. At the top, though, it would be difficult to claim, for instance, that the Secretary of Defense is overpaid. Whatever job in the private sector is most comparable would pay vastly more.” Porter

NEARLY USELESS FACTOID:

By Michael O’Connell

The full name of the Barbie doll is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

Source: BuzzFeed

More from Federal News Radio:

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