Overpaid? US Government Lawyers Make About $10K Less than Their Private Sector Counterparts
Republicans have charged that federal workers are overpaid, citing average pay of $101,000 that is well above the $60,000 average in the private sector.
Supporters of federal employees, however, claim the critics are failing to consider that the federal government hires a disproportionate number of professionals. Many blue-collar jobs, they say, are outsourced.
The Associated Press decided to sort out the claims by examining salary numbers for specific professions, including lawyers. Its finding: Average pay for lawyers in the federal government lags behind the private sector by about $10,000.
The average pay for lawyers in the private sector is about $137,540 a year, according to 2009 figures by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average pay for lawyers working for the federal government, on the other hand, is about $127,500 a year, AP says.
