Federal Employee Compensation

Unionized workers with only a high school diploma earn, roughly, 20 percent more than their private sector counterparts. When we consider age, education, and experience, public sector workers with at least an Bachelors degree, earn less than their private sector counterparts. These are the conclusions of three recent studies (here, here and here). The Congressional Budget Office's latest research on the topic (looking at Federal employees) has found similar results.

"CBO's study compares federal civilian employees and private-sector employees with certain similar observable characteristics. This analysis focuses on wages, benefits, and total compensation between 2005 and 2010."

• Federal civilian workers with no more than a high school education earned about 21 percent more, on average, than similar workers in the private sector.
• Workers whose highest level of education was a bachelor's degree earned roughly the same hourly wages, on average, in both the federal government and the private sector.
• Federal workers with a professional degree or doctorate earned about 23 percent less, on average, than their private-sector counterparts.

For Further Reading:

Right-Wing Assault on State Employee Pensions Based on Falsehoods