Feds paid 32 percent less than private sector -- FederalSoup.com

Feds paid 32 percent less than private sector

By FederalSoup Staff
Apr 12, 2018

A new report finds that private-sector workers are paid, on average, 32 percent more than federal employees in similar occupations, FCW.com reports.

The findings come from a new report by the Federal Salary Council—which oversees the general schedule locality pay at the Office of Personnel Management—and is based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the report notes, adding that San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md., have the largest pay disparities.

According to the article, the council also added six new special pay rate localities to the President's Pay Agent: Birmingham, Ala.; San Antonio, Texas; Burlington, Vt.; and Virginia Beach, Va., Omaha, Neb.; and Corpus Christi, Texas.

Reader comments

Wed, May 9, 2018 Raymond Portland, Oregon

Also, there are just too many aides, advisors, etc., on the Beltway payroll who are earning 6 figure salaries. The average anti-govt citizen/politician thinks that secretaries and janitors are making this kind of money while working in Seattle, San Diego, and Kansas City. The reality is very different.

Thu, May 3, 2018 eeo

Government employees should get pay more than within any private sectors.

Fri, Apr 20, 2018

The average federal employee (minus the management stooges) have been on the bottom rung of compensation from the Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump administrations. We have weak bloated unions that do nothing other than collect large costly dues for what they return; there is no equality for average civil servants; management cheats, lies and takes care of themselves. Nothing will change unless the workers unite and vote out the current inept minions and call for term limits and reductions in the number of congress, senate and management positions. With those savings there would be funds for adequate salary increases.

Wed, Apr 18, 2018 Janet Jackson, Mississippi

I hate when federal government and private sector jobs are compared in any way, shape or form. The feds are paid based on a fixed, set in stone budget. If every federal government worker were 12x better than every private sector worker, it wouldn’t matter. The feds are getting paid the same salary. Whereas someone who works for Google is paid based on true PERFORMANCE and market changes. If they do a great job, and the company’s stock rises, the money gained is used to give employees pay raises, vacations, bonuses, etc. Federal government workers never get these perks because their pay is based on an inflexible budget. The Federal Government isn’t a company on the NY Stock Exchange or whatever. We aren't in the business of making money. To me it's an awful comparison.

Wed, Apr 18, 2018 Randy Bay Area, CA

The biggest problem with run of the mill federal government workers right now is that our pay is not in sync with inflation and the general rise in cost of living. In certain parts of the Bay Area we are dealing with a 95% occupancy rate with apartments. The cost of gas has skyrocketed. Even a gallon of milk costs more. When politicians speak of pay raises with federal government workers, the average U.S. citizen thinks of federal workers going out and buying a Harley Davidson or taking a three week European vacation with their pay raise. The truth is that a 1% “raise” is not even enough to cover for the cost in the rise of regular health insurance premiums. In my view, federal workers every year are getting a PAY CUT. We should be getting cola/cost of living increases every single year, automatically. These ARE NOT raises. They are to pay for things that are necessary for LIVING. You can’t survive without groceries. You can’t survive without having a roof over your head. You can’t survive with transportation to get to work.

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