FACT CHECK: Are federal workers overpaid? WASHINGTON (AP) -- Are federal employees overpaid? Republican leaders in Congress think so, and they are calling for an overhaul of the entire federal pay system to help slash government spending. Democrats and other defenders of the government work force say federal workers are actually underpaid compared with their private counterparts. At a... [more]
FACT CHECK: Are federal workers overpaid?
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Are federal employees overpaid?
Republican leaders in Congress think so, and they are calling for an overhaul of the entire federal pay system to help slash government spending.
Democrats and other defenders of the government work force say federal workers are actually underpaid compared with their private counterparts.
At a congressional hearing last month, Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., said the average federal worker earns $101,628 in total compensation -- including wages and benefits-- compared with $60,000 for the average private employee. He was citing data from the federal Office of Personnel Management.
But federal employee advocates claim a straight-up comparison of average total compensation is misleading. A disproportionate number of federal employees are professionals, such as managers, lawyers, engineers and scientists. Over the years, the federal government has steadily outsourced lower-paying jobs to the private sector so that blue-collar workers cooking meals or working in mailrooms now make up just 10 percent of federal employees.
That argument is backed up by a 2002 study of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. It found that federal salaries for most professional and administrative jobs lagged well behind compensation offered in the private sector.
Among lawyers, for example, the average pay in the federal government was about $127,500 a year in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average lawyer in the private sector earned $137,540. And the starting salary at large law firms in Washington, D.C. -- where most government lawyers work -- is $160,000, and can grow to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, according to the National Association for Law Placement.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/FACT-CHECK-Are-federal-apf-3113687231.html?x=0[less]
Response by hol4
over 14 years ago
Posts: 710
Member since: Nov 2008
their source is BLS...
they compared about 40 professions and every single one of them earned more in their federal counterpart...
...funny how this AP article doesn't mention how the majority of professions on the list show Federal workers ahead..agenda much hmmmm
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Response by alanhart
over 14 years ago
Posts: 12397
Member since: Feb 2007
It's too bad private-sector workers won't fight for their right to decent pay -- and in fact have stood aside and let their pay and benefits get whittled away in the past three decades. Sad. Self-negligent. Self-destructive.
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Response by huntersburg
over 14 years ago
Posts: 11329
Member since: Nov 2010
>Sad. Self-negligent. Self-destructive.
So now alan you scorn private sector employees too?
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Response by AvUWS
over 14 years ago
Posts: 839
Member since: Mar 2008
Maybe they can start saving by not hiring so many, at so high a cost, for some really ridiculous positions.
"As of March 23 they were hiring someone to run a Facebook page for the Deparment of the Interior (at up to $115,000 a year). They were hiring equal opportunity compliance officers at the Peace Corps and Department of Interior for $150,000 to $180,000 a pop. They were hiring deputy speechwriters for officials at relatively obscure agencies."
"FDIC has put up a mere $183,805 for the Senior Deputy Director of the Office of Minority Women Inclusion. You can%u2019t get change and vibrant diversity and transparency if you%u2019re only willing to pay peanuts."
Senior Deputy Director? How many junior deputy directors and assistants to the deputy directors does that imply?
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Response by huntersburg
over 14 years ago
Posts: 11329
Member since: Nov 2010
We should be starving these federal agencies. Why do we even need the Peace Corps, let alone worry what color the peace workers are so that we need a compliance officer?
Understand how you want cops who are from various ethnicities and neighborhoods, and why you want teachers of various ethnicities that the students can relate to and look up to. But why is the color of the individual important for a firefighter?
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Response by LICComment
over 14 years ago
Posts: 3610
Member since: Dec 2007
As usual, Socialist thinks he is making a good point and then the facts just blow up in his face! Hilarious!
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Response by hol4
over 14 years ago
Posts: 710
Member since: Nov 2008
$115,000 to run a facebook page for dept of interior? wtf, lol, omgzzz
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Response by Socialist
over 14 years ago
Posts: 2261
Member since: Feb 2010
Comparing the base salary of govt. workers of private sector workers does not tell the whole story. Many private sector workers get bonuses, profit sharing, etc. Govt. workers do not. I don't know of any i-bankers leaving their jobs to work for the govt., do you?
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Response by Socialist
over 14 years ago
Posts: 2261
Member since: Feb 2010
And any "study" that comapres the average pay of govt. workers to the average pay of private sector workers is a joke since the govt. is full of skilled jobs while private industry is mainlty full of unskilled jobs. 23% of private sector workers have a degree vs. 48% of govt. workers.
"And any "study" that comapres the average pay of govt. workers to the average pay of private sector workers is a joke since the govt. is full of skilled jobs while private industry is mainlty full of unskilled jobs. 23% of private sector workers have a degree vs. 48% of govt. workers. "
Broadcast technician Federal vs Broadcast technician Private
$90,310 $49,265
Statistician Federal vs Statistician Private
$88,520 $78,065
Librarian Federal vs Librarian Private
$76,110 $63,284
Economist Federal vs Economist Private
$101,020 $91,065
Damn the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those damn rightward-leaning halliburton neo-cons
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Response by huntersburg
over 14 years ago
Posts: 11329
Member since: Nov 2010
ok socialist, fine, how about we agree that government workers aren't overpaid. That still doesn't explain why we need so many of them, especially many of those listed by AvUWS.
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Response by Socialist
over 14 years ago
Posts: 2261
Member since: Feb 2010
oh no, govt. ecoomists make an extra $10k. Those damn overpaid economists. And an FYI: Most govt. economists work for the Federal Reserve, which is NOT funded with taxpayer money.
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Response by huntersburg
over 14 years ago
Posts: 11329
Member since: Nov 2010
Do they "get bonuses, profit sharing, etc."?
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Response by Socialist
over 14 years ago
Posts: 2261
Member since: Feb 2010
"That still doesn't explain why we need so many of them, especially many of those listed by AvUWS."
Many of those positions he listed are diversity complaince officers who are there to prevent discrimination, as well as discrimination lawsuits. By preventing lawsuits, they more than pay for their own salary. Many govt. agencies, like the Dept. of Agriculture, have a long history of discrimination.
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Response by Socialist
over 14 years ago
Posts: 2261
Member since: Feb 2010
Althoguh I agree the Facebook job sounds silly. But private industry does employ people with similar job titles.
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Response by huntersburg
over 14 years ago
Posts: 11329
Member since: Nov 2010
"But private industry does employ people with similar job titles. "
Which are, by definition, not paid for by public taxpayers.
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Response by huntersburg
over 14 years ago
Posts: 11329
Member since: Nov 2010
"Many of those positions he listed are diversity complaince officers who are there to prevent discrimination, as well as discrimination lawsuits. By preventing lawsuits, they more than pay for their own salary. Many govt. agencies, like the Dept. of Agriculture, have a long history of discrimination. "
But you hate immigrants, right?
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Response by Socialist
over 14 years ago
Posts: 2261
Member since: Feb 2010
I'm against ILLEGAL immigration. Is that a problem?
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Response by huntersburg
over 14 years ago
Posts: 11329
Member since: Nov 2010
Teabagger.
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Response by Socialist
over 14 years ago
Posts: 2261
Member since: Feb 2010
I'm a teabagger? Ha ha, that's a good one.
Where's the Birth Certificate? LOL
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Response by Socialist
over 14 years ago
Posts: 2261
Member since: Feb 2010
Now time to get out my copy of the Teabagger Constitution. Bet youd did not know there was such a thing... but there is!
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their source is BLS...
they compared about 40 professions and every single one of them earned more in their federal counterpart...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-04-federal-pay_N.htm
lawyers happened to be only 1 profession of about 8 tested in the 40 or so professions where private counterparts were ahead...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-04-federal-pay_N.htm
...funny how this AP article doesn't mention how the majority of professions on the list show Federal workers ahead..agenda much hmmmm
It's too bad private-sector workers won't fight for their right to decent pay -- and in fact have stood aside and let their pay and benefits get whittled away in the past three decades. Sad. Self-negligent. Self-destructive.
>Sad. Self-negligent. Self-destructive.
So now alan you scorn private sector employees too?
Maybe they can start saving by not hiring so many, at so high a cost, for some really ridiculous positions.
"As of March 23 they were hiring someone to run a Facebook page for the Deparment of the Interior (at up to $115,000 a year). They were hiring equal opportunity compliance officers at the Peace Corps and Department of Interior for $150,000 to $180,000 a pop. They were hiring deputy speechwriters for officials at relatively obscure agencies."
http://dailycaller.com/2011/04/09/if-you-worry-about-government-cutting-too-much/
"FDIC has put up a mere $183,805 for the Senior Deputy Director of the Office of Minority Women Inclusion. You can%u2019t get change and vibrant diversity and transparency if you%u2019re only willing to pay peanuts."
Senior Deputy Director? How many junior deputy directors and assistants to the deputy directors does that imply?
We should be starving these federal agencies. Why do we even need the Peace Corps, let alone worry what color the peace workers are so that we need a compliance officer?
Understand how you want cops who are from various ethnicities and neighborhoods, and why you want teachers of various ethnicities that the students can relate to and look up to. But why is the color of the individual important for a firefighter?
As usual, Socialist thinks he is making a good point and then the facts just blow up in his face! Hilarious!
$115,000 to run a facebook page for dept of interior? wtf, lol, omgzzz
Comparing the base salary of govt. workers of private sector workers does not tell the whole story. Many private sector workers get bonuses, profit sharing, etc. Govt. workers do not. I don't know of any i-bankers leaving their jobs to work for the govt., do you?
And any "study" that comapres the average pay of govt. workers to the average pay of private sector workers is a joke since the govt. is full of skilled jobs while private industry is mainlty full of unskilled jobs. 23% of private sector workers have a degree vs. 48% of govt. workers.
It's ok LICC, there is no need to cry:
http://images1.dailykos.com/i/user/30549/Boehner_crying.jpg
"And any "study" that comapres the average pay of govt. workers to the average pay of private sector workers is a joke since the govt. is full of skilled jobs while private industry is mainlty full of unskilled jobs. 23% of private sector workers have a degree vs. 48% of govt. workers. "
rubbish... BLS compares comparitive jobs
Federal pay ahead of private industry
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-04-federal-pay_N.htm
Broadcast technician Federal vs Broadcast technician Private
$90,310 $49,265
Statistician Federal vs Statistician Private
$88,520 $78,065
Librarian Federal vs Librarian Private
$76,110 $63,284
Economist Federal vs Economist Private
$101,020 $91,065
Damn the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those damn rightward-leaning halliburton neo-cons
ok socialist, fine, how about we agree that government workers aren't overpaid. That still doesn't explain why we need so many of them, especially many of those listed by AvUWS.
oh no, govt. ecoomists make an extra $10k. Those damn overpaid economists. And an FYI: Most govt. economists work for the Federal Reserve, which is NOT funded with taxpayer money.
Do they "get bonuses, profit sharing, etc."?
"That still doesn't explain why we need so many of them, especially many of those listed by AvUWS."
Many of those positions he listed are diversity complaince officers who are there to prevent discrimination, as well as discrimination lawsuits. By preventing lawsuits, they more than pay for their own salary. Many govt. agencies, like the Dept. of Agriculture, have a long history of discrimination.
Althoguh I agree the Facebook job sounds silly. But private industry does employ people with similar job titles.
"But private industry does employ people with similar job titles. "
Which are, by definition, not paid for by public taxpayers.
"Many of those positions he listed are diversity complaince officers who are there to prevent discrimination, as well as discrimination lawsuits. By preventing lawsuits, they more than pay for their own salary. Many govt. agencies, like the Dept. of Agriculture, have a long history of discrimination. "
But you hate immigrants, right?
I'm against ILLEGAL immigration. Is that a problem?
Teabagger.
I'm a teabagger? Ha ha, that's a good one.
Where's the Birth Certificate? LOL
Now time to get out my copy of the Teabagger Constitution. Bet youd did not know there was such a thing... but there is!
http://images1.dailykos.com/i/user/3/cagle_Englehart_toon.jpg