Why are (often useless) govt workers paid so much more than non-govt workers?

[nomadic5]

Then there's the fact that, regardless of what city you find yourself in (USA), you will see that any building operated by the govt is in tip-top condition, while many times, residents nearby, well, they don't have the resources to make their homes picture perfect... too many taxes, inflation, lower wages ( than govt workers ).

Something needs to be done about this.

 

[rightwinger]

Can you show where Government Workers are paid more than comparable private sector workers?

 

[yidnar]

Can you show where Government Workers are paid more than comparable private sector workers?

lol! they get paid a lot more than sloths at the zoo ! even though they move slower .

 

[nomadic5]

lol! they get paid a lot more than sloths at the zoo ! even though they move slower .

don't get that sloth thing but I have noticed people working on roads and they do move very slowly. There is no incentive not to. and they don't even fill the pot holes properly, don't make the fill-in flush with the rest of the road. Oh, yeh, it would kill them to do that, wouldn't it? Then you have this bump in the road that afew minutes of work could have prevented

 

[candycorn]

Can you show where Government Workers are paid more than comparable private sector workers?

I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. LOL

 

[ABikerSailor]

Then there's the fact that, regardless of what city you find yourself in (USA), you will see that any building operated by the govt is in tip-top condition, while many times, residents nearby, well, they don't have the resources to make their homes picture perfect... too many taxes, inflation, lower wages ( than govt workers ).

Something needs to be done about this.

Government employees don't really make that much money, it's quite a bit of a myth. And, FWIW, the majority of government workers are GS3 to GS5's. To make it to GS7 or above is fairly difficult to do.

Here's a pay scale for the various GS grades...................

Resources - Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)

www.wrp.gov

2020 Federal Salary Chart for the areas of Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania​

Grade Level​	Standard Yearly​	Standard Hourly​
GS-02​	$28,672​	$13.74​
GS-03​	$31,284​	$14.99​
GS-04​	$35,119​	$16.83​
GS-05​	$39,291​	$18.83​
GS-07​	$48,670​	$23.32​

​

You can view more grade levels and locality areas at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2020/general-schedule/

I know that at the various bases I've been stationed at, if you found someone who was a GS6 or higher, they were generally treated like a CPO or an officer.

 

[jackflash]

Then there's the fact that, regardless of what city you find yourself in (USA), you will see that any building operated by the govt is in tip-top condition, while many times, residents nearby, well, they don't have the resources to make their homes picture perfect... too many taxes, inflation, lower wages ( than govt workers ).

Something needs to be done about this.

Public Unions + kick back$ + political support = happy law maker$!

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

Government employees don't really make that much money, it's quite a bit of a myth. And, FWIW, the majority of government workers are GS3 to GS5's. To make it to GS7 or above is fairly difficult to do.

Here's a pay scale for the various GS grades...................

Resources - Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)

www.wrp.gov

2020 Federal Salary Chart for the areas of Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania​

Grade Level​	Standard Yearly​	Standard Hourly​
GS-02​	$28,672​	$13.74​
GS-03​	$31,284​	$14.99​
GS-04​	$35,119​	$16.83​
GS-05​	$39,291​	$18.83​
GS-07​	$48,670​	$23.32​

​

You can view more grade levels and locality areas at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2020/general-schedule/

I know that at the various bases I've been stationed at, if you found someone who was a GS6 or higher, they were generally treated like a CPO or an officer.

I read a similar report years ago. According to the report, they make the same as the private sector. The difference is in the benefits where government workers make out far better.

I worked with retired government workers that got out at the age of 55 compared to the rest of us that have to wait until the age of 67. They took part-time jobs at our company because they were bored or their spouse insisted they work until they too retire. Must be nice.

 

[ABikerSailor]

I read a similar report years ago. According to the report, they make the same as the private sector. The difference is in the benefits where government workers make out far better.

I worked with retired government workers that got out at the age of 55 compared to the rest of us that have to wait until the age of 67. They took part-time jobs at our company because they were bored or their spouse insisted they work until they too retire. Must be nice.

31,000 to 35,000/year isn't a high paying job, and that's for the majority of GS jobs. As far as the benefits? Yes, they get pretty good sick leave, and there is vacation time they can get (but it's equivalent to what many companies allow, only a couple of weeks per year, which is what most major companies allow, their vacation time is about half of what the military gets). And no, they don't get free medical like the military does. In talking with many of the government workers that I worked alongside, the only thing they really saw as an advantage was their job security. If a person has been in government service for a fair amount of time (several years), it takes damn near an act of Congress to get them fired.

I remember one example at a command I was at once. Seems that the Education Officer (a GS-6), who was responsible for administering the Navy Wide Advancement Exams, as well as providing and grading all courses that enlisted personnel used for rate advancement somehow "forgot" (they had personal problems that I won't go into here) to mail in the exams for that cycle. Not only did it cause a big mess for the people that took the exam, but it also had an impact on the exams given throughout the whole Navy. Dude went through several investigations and was eventually removed from his EO job, but for some reason that I can't fathom, was allowed to continue in government service at a different job. If that had been a military person who had done something like that, it would have resulted in NJP with a bust and probably a less than honorable discharge at best, courts martial at worst.

 

[rightwinger]

I worked with retired government workers that got out at the age of 55 compared to the rest of us that have to wait until the age of 67. They took part-time jobs at our company because they were bored or their spouse insisted they work until they too retire. Must be nice.

I did that
I retired CSRS at 55 and came back six months later as a contractor in the same job at the same pay. Double dipped for six years

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

31,000 to 35,000/year isn't a high paying job, and that's for the majority of GS jobs. As far as the benefits? Yes, they get pretty good sick leave, and there is vacation time they can get (but it's equivalent to what many companies allow, only a couple of weeks per year, which is what most major companies allow, their vacation time is about half of what the military gets). And no, they don't get free medical like the military does. In talking with many of the government workers that I worked alongside, the only thing they really saw as an advantage was their job security. If a person has been in government service for a fair amount of time (several years), it takes damn near an act of Congress to get them fired.

I remember one example at a command I was at once. Seems that the Education Officer (a GS-6), who was responsible for administering the Navy Wide Advancement Exams, as well as providing and grading all courses that enlisted personnel used for rate advancement somehow "forgot" (they had personal problems that I won't go into here) to mail in the exams for that cycle. Not only did it cause a big mess for the people that took the exam, but it also had an impact on the exams given throughout the whole Navy. Dude went through several investigations and was eventually removed from his EO job, but for some reason that I can't fathom, was allowed to continue in government service at a different job. If that had been a military person who had done something like that, it would have resulted in NJP with a bust and probably a less than honorable discharge at best, courts martial at worst.

It all depends on what government you speak of. Our county government does provide benefits including healthcare. I also worked with a retired Cleveland police officer. Nice pension but no medical. So it all depends. I know people that could retire early in the private sector but the medical coverage would kill them. They have to work until at least 65 to continue that coverage until they can get on Medicare.

 

[nomadic5]

It all depends on what government you speak of. Our county government does provide benefits including healthcare. I also worked with a retired Cleveland police officer. Nice pension but no medical. So it all depends. I know people that could retire early in the private sector but the medical coverage would kill them. They have to work until at least 65 to continue that coverage until they can get on Medicare.

I think of the govt "workers" (please) who let the abortionist Gosnell continue his butchery of women and babies despite knowing that he was violating the law. If I recall correctly, a lot of them got away with their accomplice to murder charges, assuming they were ever charged at all.

So yeh, you can include this "perk" with all the others you mention

 

[ABikerSailor]

It all depends on what government you speak of. Our county government does provide benefits including healthcare. I also worked with a retired Cleveland police officer. Nice pension but no medical. So it all depends. I know people that could retire early in the private sector but the medical coverage would kill them. They have to work until at least 65 to continue that coverage until they can get on Medicare.

Well, IMHO, the absolute best government job you can get is with the U.S. Navy. Been to 49 different states, 26 different countries, and retired at 38 with a pension and full medical care for the rest of my natural.

But...............that's not the easiest thing to do. First, you have to qualify for enlistment (only 30 percent or so of age eligible people in the U.S. are qualified for enlistment), then you have to be willing to stick it out for 20 years or more. I know, because I did it. But, to be honest, there were several times I considered getting out because I would have been able to make almost twice what the military was paying me, but, there would have been no job security (in the military, stay qualified and make rank when you're supposed to and you will have a job if you want it), and, there is no way in hell that I would have been able to retire from anywhere else after 20 years of working (service).

Deciding to enlist was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. Making sure I stayed in for the full 20 was probably the absolute best I ever chose.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

Well, IMHO, the absolute best government job you can get is with the U.S. Navy. Been to 49 different states, 26 different countries, and retired at 38 with a pension and full medical care for the rest of my natural.

But...............that's not the easiest thing to do. First, you have to qualify for enlistment (only 30 percent or so of age eligible people in the U.S. are qualified for enlistment), then you have to be willing to stick it out for 20 years or more. I know, because I did it. But, to be honest, there were several times I considered getting out because I would have been able to make almost twice what the military was paying me, but, there would have been no job security (in the military, stay qualified and make rank when you're supposed to and you will have a job if you want it), and, there is no way in hell that I would have been able to retire from anywhere else after 20 years of working (service).

Deciding to enlist was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. Making sure I stayed in for the full 20 was probably the absolute best I ever chose.

I don't consider military lifers in the same category as other government jobs. You deserve to retire early and taxpayers support you because of your service to this country. Giving up the best years of your life is not an easy thing to do. But the benefits in other government work can be ridiculous simply because you worked for the government. I don't feel they should be able to retire ten or more years earlier than people in the private sector paying them.

 

[BothWings]

I read a similar report years ago. According to the report, they make the same as the private sector. The difference is in the benefits where government workers make out far better.

I worked with retired government workers that got out at the age of 55 compared to the rest of us that have to wait until the age of 67. They took part-time jobs at our company because they were bored or their spouse insisted they work until they too retire. Must be nice.

Yes, this.
And because of their benefits government workers are able to make their pay go a lot further than their counterparts in the private sector. They retire young with decent pensions and then can keep working while collecting an extra paycheck. They might be able to compound this move several times in their lives, collecting several pensions plus social security. My grandfather was a postal worker from the late 1940s through the 1960s. He continued working as a security guard for about 10 years after that until full retirement. When he died in 2004, the house that he bought for $25,000 in Northern New Jersey in 1955 was sold for $400,000. Add that to the quarter million dollars he had saved up, and you had a postal worker who was worth nearly 3/4 of a million dollars, and always seemed to have enough and everything pretty well taken care of. And this was all while caring for his son/my uncle, rendered a quadraplegic in 1973 as a result of a diving accident. If not for this responsibility my grandfather likely would have ended up being worth a lot more.