The House on Thursday passed an omnibus spending package that includes a 2 percent pay raise for civilian federal employees. Rejecting President Obama's recommendation to freeze locality pay at 2009 rates, the House allocated 1.5 percent of the overall 2.0 percent raise to base pay and 0.5 percent to locality pay. The spending package now moves to the Senate, which will consider the bill over the weekend.
Meanwhile, USA Today reports that the number of federal workers earning base salaries of $100,000 or more - before overtime pay and bonuses are counted -- jumped from 14 percent to 19 percent during the recession's first 18 months. The article contends that federal workers are overpaid, noting that the recent growth has pushed the average federal salary to $71,206, compared with $40,331 in the private sector. What are your thoughts on this assessment, especially considering the likely 2 percent pay raise for 2010 is the lowest raise federal workers have seen since 1975? As highly-skilled federal IT workers, how do you think your pay compares to your private sector counterparts?
Brittany Ballenstedt
Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.
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