Are fed IT workers overpaid?

With unemployment rates high, the federal budget deficit soaring and many Americans in distress, there has been a great deal of dissatisfaction with the federal government.

That anger and distrust has spilled over to federal workers, with some politicians and conservative groups taking aim at civil servants, claiming they are making too much money while citizens across the country are suffering. A recent story in USA Today has helped fuel the fire, maintaining that federal workers on average make more than private sector workers.

The newspaper said federal workers earned an average salary of $67,691 in 2008 for occupations that exist both in government and the private sector. The average pay for the same jobs in the private sector was $60,046 in 2008.

Federal unions have objected to the analysis, arguing that the data ignores the fact that many federal workers have higher education levels and perform more complex work that private sector counterparts. The conservative Cato Institute, however, maintains that federal employee salaries have been steadily rising at rates higher than the private sector.

For more on federal pay:
- see this USA Today article
- read this nextgov.com article

Related Articles:
The best-paying IT jobs
Survey: Tech's high-end salaries leveling off