The Salaries of Federal Employees
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Ever wondered where all of your tax money goes?
In a society where salaries are secrets nobody wants to reveal, it is refreshing to find websites that have a tell all approach when it comes to the salaries of federal employees.
If you are interested in finding out just how well (or not) a government job pays, all you have to do is get online and click away.
For a broad view:
- 2007 Salary Tables and Related Information
For general salary ranges of particular job descriptions, check out this U.S. Office of Personnel Management website.
For an in-depth look:
- Federal Employees 2006 search
Find federal salaries based on location, agency, or even name at this site. Jobs that relate to national security are excluded, but other positions are available.
Why does it matter?
There are a variety of reasons why you should be able to find out how much federal employees are making.
First of all, it is important to know how tax money is used. This doesn't mean that you, personally as a taxpayer, are paying these salaries. But as a taxpayer, you should find out how taxes are used.
Second, it helps to see the salary differences between the private companies and government jobs. When I first saw some of the federal salaries, I was shocked--I was certain that the private sector paid more. I was wrong.
Public records are great sources of information. However, I wonder how some of these federal employees feel about having their salaries available for anyone to see. Are they worried about their privacy rights?
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Comments
I'd not want my salary disclosed no matter who I worked for.
Then again, NBA stars have their salaries plastered everywhere and no one seems to mind..
I was a Federal employee at a starting salary of $11,000 per year. I made more as an active duty soldier (Post Viet Nam Era) than my first Federal job. It is true that some positions are over compensated, especially when the selected employee is incompetent. When I resigned, I earned a little over 30k.
If you think posted annual salaries are ridiculous; add compensation for non-work days; like Federal Holidays, annual and sick leave. Divide the annual salary by 2086 hours, it escapes me why an extra 6 hours is necessary for there are only 2080 hours possible in 52 weeks of working 40 hours a day.
Anyway, based on the number of active Federal time; employees get 4 - 8 hours of annual leave bi-monthly. All employees get 4 hours of sick leave bi-monthly. Employees are not suppose to carryover more than 240 hours of annual from pay-period 26 to pay-period 1 of the next paid year. Employees are warned to either use or lose annual leave in excess of 240 hours. The only stipulation that allows excess carryover is in the event excess leave was scheduled and the employee could not take the leave due to scheduling conflict (too many employee requesting to be off in the same time-frame; absenteeism which may cause immediate supervisor to cancel an approved leave request for staffing purposes, ...
Sick leave is continuous accumulation.
It's true, the long-term benefits of being a federal employee can be wonderful (imagine: 8 hours of vacation every pay period), but being a federal employee has its downfalls as well (lack of creative freedom, politics, etc.). I was working as a contractor for a federal department--when you start out as a federal employee, you are not well-paid, you have to earn the benefits and higher salaries. I would love to see great benefits and salaries in the private sector as well.
There are surely a great many advantages to being a Federal employee!
I'm a current federal employee. The wages in my agency are below what the private sector pays, for the same type of job.
As far as sick pay goes, it accumulates at 4 hrs per pay period, for your entire career with the government. For the newer system (there are older workers still on the old system), you can accumulate thousands of hours of sick leave in your career, but if you don't use them, you LOSE them...you do NOT get paid for any unused sick leave if you leave or retire from the government. And believe me, managers are always on the lookout for people trying to use up sick leave (such as just before they retire or quit)--some managers will actually call your doctor if they think you are abusing sick leave. So lots of people leave the government, and leave hundreds of hours of unused sick leave behind.
Also, a work week is 40 hours, which means you have to be at work for 8 1/2 hours every day to allow for a half hour lunch. When I worked in the private sector, I worked 7 1/2 hour days (allowing for a half hour lunch) and made the same amount of money as I do now working 8 hour days. It makes for LONG days, being at work for 42 1/2 hours a week (and not getting overtime for those 2 1/2 hrs).
Yes, fed. employees get holidays off, just like most private sector jobs. But we don't get personal days, and cannot use sick leave in place of annual leave. For the 1st 3 years of fed. employment, we get 4 hrs of annual leave per 2 weeks, which works out to about 13 days of annual per year. In order to take a 2 week vacation, I'd have to work for nearly a year in order to save up enough time. A lot of private sector jobs give 2 weeks' vacation right off the bat.
Job satisfaction is not always about the money. In the government, it is a very regimented job. As Stacie pointed out, there is no room for creativity or input, and no negotiating your salary, time off, or anything. "It is what it is"--if you think you can do your job more efficiently a different way--forget it. You have to abide by all the rules, no matter how inefficient, outdated, or suppressing they may be.
Because I am older, I will probably stay with the government until I can retire. But if I was 20 something, I would probably be looking for another job, in the private sector.
"you have to be at work for 8 1/2 hours every day"
"It makes for LONG days, being at work for 42 1/2 hours a week (and not getting overtime for those 2 1/2 hrs)."
Wow !! You've GOT to be kidding me !?!?!?
A whole 2.5 hours unpaid .. You must be VERY spoiled.
Try working 60+ hour weeks and "only" paid for 40 hours.
Try working 80 hour weeks and "only" paid for 40 hours.
One thing I think the govt needs to get in line with, with most of the public sector, is the lack of a pension. So many companies, large and small, are either dropping pensions or scrapping plans for a pension due to global competition. I would love to see the govt -local, state and federal- get with the program and save BILLIONS in taxes that those that have lost their pensions will have to continue to pay for for the rest of their lives while no longer receiving the income.
Get with the real world, get with the program and lower our taxes in the process.
working
cgull8m says:
12 months ago
It is shocking the Federal employees are paid more, I know they are paid very high in USPS, some make 30 to 40$ an hour and also do more overtime and paid double overtime. Private sector is scrimping too much, they want to make more profits so the pay is very less and make them work harder. In case of Federal the Unions have a big say, most of them are not fired and have life time jobs that pays too much for less work. Good post Stacie.