Federal Pay Edge
Salaries have been slow to grow, but feds -- especially those in IT -- are better off than their private sector peers.
Federal pay in 2011 grew at its slowest pace in one decade, in part due to a partial pay freeze. But overall, federal IT workers are still faring better than their counterparts in the private sector, most of whom have seen flat salaries over the past two years.
A recent analysis by USA Today found that federal pay rose an average of 1.3 percent for fiscal 2011, according to newly released federal data. The wages of private sector workers rose 1.2 percent during that period, the same rate as state and local government pay growth, the analysis found.
The federal pay numbers are the first full budget-year results since President Obama froze across-the-board automatic pay increases for federal workers in 2011 and 2012. Federal employees are still eligible for other pay increases, however, such as those for longevity, performance and promotions.
Average pay for federal IT workers rose more than the overall average for federal workers, USA Today found. For example, computer engineers saw an increase of 3.7 percent in fiscal 2011, with the average pay rate coming in at $102,912. Computer clerks and assistants saw an average increase of 1.7 percent, with average salaries coming in at $39,173, the analysis found.
USA Today also found that federal workers made an average of $75,296 last year, plus $28,323 in medical, pension and other benefits. That figure is about 60 percent more than the average private sector wage, though many experts argue that the difference is a result of higher levels of education and professional jobs in the federal workforce.
Still, even comparing USA Today's analysis of federal IT workers with the most recent IT salary survey by Dice.com, federal IT pros still come out on top. For example, Dice's 2010-2011 annual salary survey found that private sector technology salaries increased by an average of only 0.7 percent, to $79,384 last year.
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