Average federal worker's pay $71,206.

[CoolBreeze]

For feds, more get 6-figure salaries
Average pay $30,000 over private sector

By Dennis Cauchon
USA TODAY

The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has exploded during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal salary data.

Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession's first 18 months and that's before overtime pay and bonuses are counted.

Federal workers are enjoying an extraordinary boom time in pay and hiring during a recession that has cost 7.3 million jobs in the private sector.

The highest-paid federal employees are doing best of all on salary increases. Defense Department civilian employees earning $150,000 or more increased from 1,868 in December 2007 to 10,100 in June 2009, the most recent figure available.

When the recession started, the Transportation Department had only one person earning a salary of $170,000 or more. Eighteen months later, 1,690 employees had salaries above $170,000.

The trend to six-figure salaries is occurring throughout the federal government, in agencies big and small, high-tech and low-tech. The primary cause: substantial pay raises and new salary rules.

"There's no way to justify this to the American people. It's ridiculous," says Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, a first-term lawmaker who is on the House's federal workforce subcommittee.

Jessica Klement, government affairs director for the Federal Managers Association, says the federal workforce is highly paid because the government employs skilled people such as scientists, physicians and lawyers. She says federal employees make 26% less than private workers for comparable jobs.

USA TODAY analyzed the Office of Personnel Management's database that tracks salaries of more than 2 million federal workers. Excluded from OPM's data: the White House, Congress, the Postal Service, intelligence agencies and uniformed military personnel.

The growth in six-figure salaries has pushed the average federal worker's pay to $71,206, compared with $40,331 in the private sector.

Key reasons for the boom in six-figure salaries:

•Pay hikes. Then-president Bush recommended and Congress approved across-the-board raises of 3% in January 2008 and 3.9% in January 2009. President Obama has recommended 2% pay raises in January 2010, the smallest since 1975. Most federal workers also get longevity pay hikes called steps that average 1.5% per year.

•New pay system. Congress created a new National Security Personnel System for the Defense Department to reward merit, in addition to the across-the-board increases. The merit raises, which started in January 2008, were larger than expected and rewarded high-ranking employees. In October, Congress voted to end the new pay scale by 2012.

•Pay caps eased. Many top civil servants are prohibited from making more than an agency's leader. But if Congress lifts the boss' salary, others get raises, too. When the Federal Aviation Administration chief's salary rose, nearly 1,700 employees' had their salaries lifted above $170,000, too.

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/ne ... titialskip

[AmpedNow]

That's ok. There won't be any private sector left when it's all said and done.

[cgarison]

So this means that all the civil servants working in DC will be able to afford an interest only loan to be able to purchase a 600 sq. ft. condo for $750,000 plus an additional $100K for a parking place.

[Bob Campbell]

There was a time in my life when I thought 71k was a lot of money. It's amazing how little it turned out to be.

[Hoosier Daddy]

There was a time in my life when I thought 71k was a lot of money. It's amazing how little it turned out to be.

If you live anywhere but Appalachia, and if you have a family and want to own your house, $71K doesn't go very far.

[CoolBreeze]

I must respectfully disagree. Other than the obvious high rent districts in America (NYC, parts of Calif and other similar cities) you should be able to live pretty darn well on 71 grand. I have relatives in NC and Florida who do well on half that. In THIS economy, I'll bet you could do well almost anywhere in the nation on that.

Here's a high end years budget that many here will never have to worry about:

House payment ... $2000 a month = $24,000
Car payment ... $300 a month = $3,600
Food .... $1000 a month = $12,000

That's only $39,600 a year for the biggest expenses. That leaves "about" THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS for taxes, gasoline, utilities. Most people here don't even MAKE $30,000 a year.

Naturally, MOST people live well beyond what they make, no matter WHAT they make. If these same people made $100,000 a year, it wouldn't be any different because they'd bump up against that figure just as hard as they could. Why? Because it's been much too long since the Great Depression and people in the workforce today have NO clue about money and how to live safely first.... and then well on what they make.

[Lester]

I don't make 71k per year... even with Reserve pay thrown in.

[Bob Campbell]

I'm sure not making it this year.
Jerry, you forgot to add some other basic expenses.
Alimony
Child support
Therapy for crazy ex-wife
Therapy for you because of crazy ex-wife
Gym membership so you don't look like you still live in WV
Orthopedic surgeon's bill because you keep forgetting you're not 25 any more when you're at the gym
College tuition for children from earlier marriages
Boob job for girl friend
Gym membership for girl friend so SHE doesn't look like she's from WV
Monthly quota of Maker's Mark whiskey
Special "treats" you buy from "that guy" at your station
High speed internet connection for porn
Ocean front condo for vacation with girl friend so she can show off new boobs on the beach
Golf, that's at least 10 grand there
Money for "Gentlemen's clubs"
After a while, it starts to add up.
And because of all the changes in record promotion in the last few years, a lot of the stuff above that you used to be able to get free from the record guys you have to buy on your own now. Flat screen tvs aren't free any more dammit.