3 ms·
The average federal US employee earns $106k a year on top of quite a few generous benefits. I don't think, based on available data, that they are underpaid rel
by missedthecue 2y ago
The average federal US employee earns $106k a year on top of quite a few generous benefits.
I don't think, based on available data, that they are underpaid relative to the private sector, though I see it said so often online it appears to be "common knowledge". Maybe it was true 50 years ago? Maybe it's just the people repeating it... Are they paid less compared to high tech? Yes.
- Terr_ 2y agoLooking for the $106k number, I find this [0], which: > [...] doesn’t include postal workers, congressional staffers, employees of the government’s various intelligence agencies or presidential appointees who require Senate confirmation. As for comparisons to the private-sector, there's a useful graph from 2022 [1] that compares wages+benefits broken down by employee education levels. [0] https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/07/what-the-data-says-about-federal-workers/ https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/07/what-the-... [1] https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60235 https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60235
- missedthecue 2y agoCompared to the federal workforce, the number of congressional staffers is a rounding error. Those working at intelligence agencies and presidential appointees are all likely near or well above $106k. You're talking about secretaries and undersecretaries and directors of entire government departments. FYI, the survey also didn't include uniformed service personnel.
- dialup_sounds 2y agoIs there a source for that $106k? What I'm seeing puts the average fed at GS-10, which is less than that.
- missedthecue 2y agoOPM internal report last year. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/07/what-the-data-says-about-federal-workers/ https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/07/what-the-...