Federal Employee Salaries Continue to Be a Hot Topic of Debate

http://www.myfederalretirement.com

March 8, 2010

As federal deficit spending increases, and the general unemployment rate is at 9.7

percent, the comparisons of pay for federal employees versus workers

in the private sector continue to be a focus of heated debate.

target=_blank>USA Today reported, "overall, federal workers

earned an average salary of $67,691 in 2008 for occupations that exist both in

government and the private sector, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The average pay for the same mix of jobs in the private sector was $60,046 in

2008, the most recent data available. "

But groups representing federal employees say that those figures do not take

into consideration many important factors that determine federal pay.

President Colleen Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)

recently noted that the federal workforce is increasingly comprised of

professional jobs, including large numbers of doctors and nurses, scientists in

virtually every discipline, attorneys, accountants, bank examiners, engineers,

information technology specialists and many others -- nearly all of whom are

paid less as civil servants than their counterparts in the private sector.

responses from federal employee groups and analysts who note the federal

job classification system and longevity of federal employees play a role in

determining federal employee salaries.

raise for civilian workers.

For federal employees nearing retirement, salaries are a key factor in

calculating the amount of their CSRS or FERS monthly retirement annuity

salary" computation -- which is the largest annual

rate resulting from averaging an employee's basic pay in effect over any

period of three consecutive years of creditable civilian service.