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CBO Notes Federal Employees Make More Than Similarly Educated Workers In Private Sector

February 1, 2012 by  

CBO Notes Federal Employees Make More Than Similarly Educated Workers In Private Sector

The generous benefit packages that many Federal employees receive have helped these individuals earn significantly better compensation than similarly educated workers in the private sector, according to a report released by Congress’ chief scorekeeper.

The Washington Times reported that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) noted that Federal workers earn 16 percent more in total compensation than comparable private-sector employees. This includes wages and benefits for these individuals.

According to the newspaper, only private-sector workers with the highest levels of education, such as lawyers and doctors, earn more than their counterparts in the public sector.

“For workers at all education levels, the cost of total compensation averaged about $52 per hour worked for federal employees, compared with about $45 per hour worked for employees in the private sector with certain similar observable characteristics,” analysts from the CBO said in the report.

Fox News reported that compensation was 36 percent higher on average for Federal workers with a high school degree, 32 percent higher for Federal employees with some college education and 15 percent higher for Federal workers with a bachelor’s degree.

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  • jopa

    JoeH;I worked out in the Ford plant in Wixom for the UAW, the United Steel Workers when I worked in hard rock copper mining in White Pine Mi. in Michigan’s UP and with the Woodworkers union for many years.I know quite a bit about unions and never witnessed any of the strong arm tactics of a forgotten era.Your apology is accepted.

  • ranger hall

    WELL folks, WE cannot blame anyone but ourselves.
    NOW who do you thing these Govt workers are going to side with. YOU or the POWERS TO BE.
    You would think that WE would get SMARTER as the years go by.
    The only thing that they fear is the American People UNITED, BUT they have seperated us for Many, Many years, and FROM THE LOOKS OF IT, they have won. we HAVE DONE nothing TO cONTROL THE powers TO be.
    aLL YOU HAVE TO DO IS READ THESE REPLYS, AND YOU KNOW WHY.
    tHEY HAVE THE WORKING CLASS PEOPLE UNABLE TO TAKE THE TIME FROM WORK TO PROTEST. hAVE YOU NOTICED THAT ONLY gOVT. WORKERS,MEXICANS,BLACKS. CAN TAKE THE TIME TO PROTEST IN LARGE NUMBERS. wONDER WHY.

  • Donna Mechalske

    Why do we go after the Federal workforce? What about the salaries of Congress, Senate and Supreme Court judges etc. They are overpaid for the work they do and they are given benefit packages that would make your eyes pop. They even get pension and access to health benefits for life after one term. No wonder why they cannot get anything done. They do not live in the real world where us working stiffs live. What working man or women would not want a separate pay budget for a staff to help us do our jobs.

  • jopa

    Joe H;I believe your claim to be a bit phony or you sure are a Joe of all trades.That is all you could think of were three unions?If you were a union member what was your actual trade?The three you mention show a little conflict or you just may be the type of person that just doesn’t fit in by being able to do your job.Concentrate on one trade and you may become eligible for the work force and the company and union will strive to keep you on.

    • Joe H.

      jopa,
      As a member of the IBEW, I was a shear operator at Faraday inc in Tecumseh Mich. As a member of the UAW, I was a line worker at Hoover ball and bearing. As a member of the Teamsters, I was a shear operator as well! Dam it, man, my Father was a stuard for the UAW for about twenty years. He was one of the original teamsters members in Detroit in the late twenties. you don’t know $hit about the unions, sonny!!

      • Joe H.

        excuse me, you pizzed me off so bad I misspoke. He was in them in the late 40s, before they were completely organized in detroit. He saw many heads bashed by hoffas goons!

  • jopa

    Raggs;What do you know about unions,I can tell from your posts you have been a welfare recipient all your life?Welfare bums no, unions yes.

    • Joe H.

      jopa,
      i have worked under the IBEW, the UAW, and the teamsters! all they did was cause me to lose jobs by costing the companies money to the point that they laid off their whole second shift!!! You think those companies WANTED to lay off the WHOLE SECOND SHIFT??? Are you insane? The unions have out lived their worth!

      • APN

        Yep!

  • 45caliber

    So private companies pay around $45 an hour with benefits. That must be an average or something since most small companies can’t pay that much. I also suspect that this may be the average for companies like GM or Ford. But it doesn’t surprise me that the government employees get more.

    They tend to get the same basic wages but they pay far less for better medical insurance, have a better retirement plan, and get far more medical leave and vacation than the private sector does.

    • Raggs

      Job security as well… A union employee cannot be fired while a working class individual has no choice but to do the best that they can in order to keep a job. So hence the need to abolish the union due to people that are above the law… A cleansing thing is in order.

      • 45caliber

        I agree. I heard an ex-Postmaster General speak one time. He said the postoffice had far too many people but he couldn’t fire them since they were union. At best, all he could do was stop any new hires and try to reduce their numbers by attrition. They ran him off for that.

      • eddie47d

        Unions are the working class people who fought for a fair wage for all. It’s too bad that you think working folks are above the law Raggs.

      • Joe H.

        eddie,
        you’re speaking in the PAST!! All the union does now is collect dues, protect WORTHLESS workers from getting drop kicked out on their assets, and try their damnest to legislate!!!

      • APN

        How could anyone be dumb enough to allow the unionization of Federal Workers? No wonder we are 15 trillion in debt!!

  • Donald

    With all the ambitious people working in the Private Sector, it is necessary to attract some talent into Government so that hugely complicated operation can run with some semblance of efficiency.

    • Dennis48e

      Ah, but the government should not be that huge or that complicated.

  • Raggs

    Punk daddy king oblama keeps adding “newly” created govment jobs, czars and the likes of thugs… High wages and benefits for worthless spaces.

  • jopa

    I don’t know if it still holds true today but I do recall the Bush administration streamlining efficiency by giving everyone of their staff and personnel credit cards to buy stationary paper clips and post a notes.Turns out they also bought home computers I phones and everything else their little heart desired without any oversight.Another multi-million dollar boondoggle.Small potatoes but it all adds up.

    • Raggs

      Stop living in the past …. How stupid….

  • MARY ANN JACHNA

    THIS CERTAINLY EXPLAINS THE HIGH COST OF INCOMPETENCE.

  • Charlene

    As a nurse the salary for a federal job are comparable to the private sector.

  • Charlene

    As a nurse, the salary is not necessarily better if you are a federal employee and in many cases it is less.

  • for the children

    thats because when the #hit hit the fan in 2008, almost all salaries were cut by 50% or greater and government employees ( including the congressional and president that caused this mess by loaning $ to freddie mac and fanny mae along with loaning money to compainies that back the current administration )had no cut in pay. these people sit in their ivy towers and tell “we the people” are to blame. Time for alot of them (government employees ) to give back. This would be fair:
    1. Top 10% of wage earners in gov. = 50% cut in pay.
    2. Next 80% of wage earners in gov.= 25% cut in pay.
    3. bottom 10% of wage earners in gov. = 10% cut in pay.
    Welcome to our world. Note, the riches suburbs per capitol? surround Washington. Go figure!!

    • APN

      That’s a good start but you need to add an immediate 50% reduction in personnel first, then bring their pay in line with us “Regular Folks”.

  • http://personallibertydigest Gottaplenty

    Makes you wonder why so many make it their life ambition to become a Govt. employee. And then the rest of us don’t pay our fair share .

    • eddie47d

      Every worker whether college educated or not will FOLLOW THE MONEY. They will also go where the security is whether in government or the private sector. That’s why we have doctors or those getting doctorate degrees in medicine who switch course and end up in the financial sector. FOLLOW THE MONEY!Maybe that is why we had so much trouble with our economy and health care standings in the world. We have doctors sewing Wall Street dollars into their pockets instead of sewing up patients.

      • APN

        Their life, their decision. Eddie, only a Marxist-Progressive would make such a comment.

        As far as the Fed worker making more than us “regular” people. Never should been allowed to happen in the first place. In fact, I think a 50% reduction in federal personnel, excluding the Military, should be implemented immediately, given we are 15+ Trillion in debt.

        All Fed salaries and benefit packages should be brought in line with the private sector immediately.

        It’s time to get real about trimming up this FAT HOG we have in Washington.

        OH NO!!!! That means no more $16 cup cakes for the lords in Washington!

  • Sirian

    This is all fine and dandy but still, where does the Federal government acquire the funds to pay such lovely wages and benefit packages? Yep, wonder where???? :(

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