12/28/2017 "$1MM Per Minute In Salaries, $22BN Per Year In Vacation Pay" And Other Fun Facts About

ts About The Federal Workforce | Zero Hedge

"$1MM Per Minute In Salaries, $22BN Per Year In Vacation Pay" And
Other Fun Facts About The Federal Workforce

by Tyler Durden
Dec 27, 2017 7:10 PM

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The folks at Open The Books decided to take a deep dive into the salaries of 1.97 million federal employees,
using data collected from the Office Of Personnel Management and the USPS via FOIA requests, and the endless
examples of excessive pay and pure waste are sure to make you sick, if not downright suicidal.  Here are just
some of the key takeaways as summarized by OTB:

1. The federal government pays its disclosed workforce $1 million per minute, $66 million per hour,
and $524 million per day. In FY2016, the federal government disclosed 1.97 million employees at a cash
compensation cost of $136.3 billion.
 
2. Over a six-year period (FY2010-2016), the number of federal employees making $200,000 or more
has increased by 165 percent; those making $150,000 or more has grown by 60 percent; and those
making more than $100,000 has increased by 37 percent.
 
3. On average, federal employees are given 10 federal holidays, 13 sick days, and 20 vacation days per
year. If each employee used 13 sick days and took 20 vacation days in addition to the 10 federal holidays, it
would cost taxpayers an estimated $22.6 billion annually.
 
4. In FY2016, a total 406,960 employees made six-figure incomes – that's roughly one in five disclosed
federal employees. Furthermore, 29,852 federal employees out-earned each of the 50 state governors
receiving more than $190,823.
 

5. At 78 out of the 122 independent agencies and departments we studied, the average employee
compensation exceeded $100,000 in FY2016.
 

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6. With 326 employees at a total cash compensation of $28.8 million, we found a federal agency in San
Francisco – Presidio Trust – paid out three of the top four federal bonuses including the largest in the
federal government in FY2016. The biggest bonus went to an HR Manager in charge of payroll for
$141,525.
 
7. Together, the United States Postal Service (USPS) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employ
more than half of the disclosed federal workforce. As the largest civilian employer within the federal
government, the USPS employed 32 percent of all disclosed federal employees, totaling 621,523 people on
payroll in FY2016. The VA employed the second most employees with 372,614 or 19 percent of the
disclosed federal workforce.
 
8. Only one-third of the 35,000 lawyers in the federal workforce work at the Department of Justice. The
entire staff of federal lawyers earned $4.8 billion in FY2016.
 
9. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employed 3,498 police officers at a total cost of $172 million in
FY2016. When asked about corresponding crime statistics, the VA was unable to provide any information on
the number of crimes or incidents.
 
10. There are an additional 2 million undisclosed employees at the Department of Defense and in the
active military. Their estimated cash compensation value, combined with $1 billion in undisclosed bonuses
and $125 billion in hidden pension data, amounts to roughly $221 billion in undisclosed federal cash
compensation per year.

So where is all the money going?  As it turns out, federal employees working in "the beltway" and California
receive 22% of all federal compensation dollars.  Meanwhile, employees located in just the top 10 states
received 41% ($55.5 billion).  Of course, out of that top 10, only two states, Georgia and Texas, consistently
vote 'red' in national elections which may help to explain why the Trump administration has struggled with
leaks from a variety of agencies since moving into the White House.

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The growth in the number of federal employees earning over $150,000 per year is simply mind numbing.  Keep
in mind, these salaries are doled out regardless of whether or not these employees take advantage of their 8
weeks of paid time off every year. 

There are now 29,852 federal employees who out-earn every governor of the 50 states, receiving more
than $190,823 each. Over a six-year period (FY2010-2016), the number of federal employees making
$200,000 or more has increased by 165 percent, those making $150,000 or more has grown by 60
percent, and those making more than $100,000 has increased by 37 percent.
 
Of the roughly 2 million disclosed federal employees, 406,960 made six figures in cash compensation in
FY2016. Additionally, 24,799 federal employees earned $200,000 or more while 3,154 made $300,000 or
more. The top-paid federal employee overall, Dr. David Harpole, made $403,849 as a thoracic and cardiac
surgeon for the Department of Veterans Affairs. This department employs more top earners than any other
department or independent agency

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As if the above isn't bad enough, things get really disturbing when you learn that various agencies employee an
army of "Interior Designers" making up to $150,000 per year...

The Department of State displayed the most egregious trends in regards to interior designers, doling
out - on average - $122,093 to each of its 24 interior designers. The highest-paid interior design
employees, however, worked for the Department of Treasury, earning $132,438, on average. In all, the
federal government paid 40 interior designers more than $100,000 each.

...and an even larger army of "Gardeners" making up to $160,000.

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Perhaps it's time for a career change?  Here's an idea...you could pick up a job mowing the lawn at the State
Department for 40 hours a week at a salary of $141,555 and then use the other 128 hours of every week to get
an Interior Design gig at Treasury for $152,687...all the while collecting two pensions and making nearly 5x the
average American household yet still working less hours despite having two jobs...
Here is the full report from Open The Books:

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Stu Elsample • Dec 27, 2017 7:26 PM

Career welfare recipients (ghetto trash) are federal employees. They're paid very well to vote
(Democrat) and reproduce.
That cesspool swamp needs drained too.

JimmyJones  Stu Elsample • Dec 27, 2017 7:36 PM

Fiat currency based on debt is what makes this possible. I also dislike subsidising other people's
reproduction at the expense of my own.

Stu Elsample  JimmyJones • Dec 27, 2017 7:39 PM

Are you prepared for the coming fiat currency crash?? Those ghetto chimps won't be too happy
when their gravy train rolls to a stop. .308....get some.
 

HisNameIsRP  Stu Elsample • Dec 27, 2017 7:55 PM

Axe them all

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Clock Crasher  JimmyJones • Dec 27, 2017 7:49 PM

136 & 221 billion dollars in compensation for on and off book employees is 357Billion per year

esum  Stu Elsample • Dec 27, 2017 7:47 PM

abort the parasitic scum..... LIBTARDS...   90% 

max2205 • Dec 27, 2017 7:15 PM

Don't get me started 

Giant Meteor  max2205 • Dec 27, 2017 7:28 PM

Military Spending in the United States
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/campaigns/military-spending-united-st...

Lumberjack  max2205 • Dec 27, 2017 7:53 PM

Look at the chart that breaks down employees/cost per state. WTF is the last one, location
withheld???

buzzsaw99 • Dec 27, 2017 7:17 PM

11.  the fbi is run by damn dirty apes.

yogibear  buzzsaw99 • Dec 27, 2017 7:33 PM

High school teachers around my area earn almost $200,000 for working for 9 months and get 75%
of their salary at retirement per year.
Their always asking for higher tax rates.
Had a friend said that he worked with high security government people. They get 2x the pay and do
half the work, plus big pensions.

Giant Meteor  yogibear • Dec 27, 2017 7:48 PM

Well at least when folks are told why we fight, you know, fighting for the Merican way of life, you
now know what that actually means !

LetThemEatRand • Dec 27, 2017 7:18 PM

Totally out of control, but still pales in comparison to the trillions that flow out of the government into
the defense contractors and bankers.  Just about every Republican since Nixon and even most
Democratic candidates have promised to rein it in, yet it just grows year-by-year.  Trump is the latest
to lie to our faces about reversing government expansion and cutting government waste.

new game  LetThemEatRand • Dec 27, 2017 7:19 PM

like mosquitos and blood(taxes)...

Stu Elsample  LetThemEatRand • Dec 27, 2017 7:28 PM

Welfare payouts to society's trash and illegal aliens cost a whole lot more than national defense

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Giant Meteor  Stu Elsample • Dec 27, 2017 7:51 PM

Could you kindly put up a link sourcing the claim ..
Many tanks !

DCFusor • Dec 27, 2017 7:17 PM

Author misspelled homicidal.

Laughing.Man • Dec 27, 2017 7:17 PM

Location withheld for 261,130 employees?  LOL

new game • Dec 27, 2017 7:18 PM

i've been in the country worker hive. these bees work 4-5 hours per 8 hour shift. and that isn't
accounting for twice the amount of people needed to do the task. so, with some maff, 2-3 hours
work of 8. oh, and need i mention the equipment. huh, spendy, new, and shiney with something for
almost every task. millions and millions $'s of equip and facilities. actually billions...

BrokeMiner • Dec 27, 2017 7:20 PM

proposal: if you work for the government you pay double the income tax rate of a private sector
employee

aloha_snakbar • Dec 27, 2017 7:20 PM

No taxes since 10/2012...fuck that shit...Homies not playing any more...

BlindMonkey  aloha_snakbar • Dec 27, 2017 7:27 PM

It is becoming increasingly difficult to justify playing the game here. 

VWAndy • Dec 27, 2017 7:21 PM

 Location witheld. 20 B$  WONDER WHERE THAT IS?

Giant Meteor  VWAndy • Dec 27, 2017 7:22 PM

Very mysterious

RightEdge  Giant Meteor • Dec 27, 2017 7:31 PM

$20b is what I read somewhere was the budget for Los Alamos facility in NM. Most PhD’s in one
location on the planet.

Giant Meteor  RightEdge • Dec 27, 2017 7:42 PM

$2.3 trillion , Rummy admits. gone missing,, one day before 9-11, obviously down the memory
hole from there ...
Then ... ripped from headlines ..
$6.5 TRILLION MISSING FROM DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
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$6.5 TRILLION MISSING FROM DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
'Fact the Pentagon can't account for how it spent money reveals a potentially far greater problem
than theft'"
Published: 08/17/2016
and then ..
$10 Trillion Missing From Pentagon And No One — Not Even the DoD — Knows Where It Is
MARCH 27, 2017
You know, I'm not a rocket scientist, but it appears there is some really bad book keeping going on
here ..
 

BraceforImpact • Dec 27, 2017 7:24 PM

Anyone that has EVER run a small business/made an honest dollar in their life/sold a product worth
ANYTHING knows this behaviour in the real world would have them not only completely bankrupt, but
left utterly laughable. 
 
SHUT IT THE FK DOWN. FLIP THE SWITCH, PULL THE PLUG, END THE CANCER. 
 
They provide NOTHING whatsoever, all law is arbitrary, the PO can be privatized (and should be),
along with everything else aside from LEGIT NATIONAL DEFENSE (IE, SOMEONE STORMING THE
COUNTRY) but geopolitical borders are also an illusion, we're all going to die, and Gods not real so lol
 
I'm sitting here drinking a soda and literally laughing. $16k a second on a worthless thieving
government and $20k a second on war lol 
 
We're all FKed, I can't wait to get paid in WORTHLESS ILLEGAL FIAT GARBAGE when I go to work next
week. 
 
It's almost like walking around in a nightmare, every single day. 
 
People are actually so dumb it's almost sad-funny.
It's a satistical CERTAINTY that we fail. 
 
As always, brace for impact.
 

Seasmoke  BraceforImpact • Dec 27, 2017 7:32 PM

Best post of 2017.

Clock Crasher  BraceforImpact • Dec 27, 2017 7:53 PM

Don't worry crypto drained half a trillion from their one weakness, Gold. 
Oh wait... SumamaBITCH

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MrBoompi • Dec 27, 2017 7:24 PM

They could always privatize these positions which end up costing the taxpayer 3 times as much.  

Seasmoke • Dec 27, 2017 7:30 PM

Multiply that by 50 states. And their Counties. And Their towns ..... Job welfare programs for the public
takers who all Produce NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!

Deplorable • Dec 27, 2017 7:35 PM

And walk into any federal building and look for the portraits of Trump and Pence in the lobby.....
What you will see are two blank spaces that used to be occupied by Obama and Whats-His-Name,
and those spots will never be filled in because it would offend the overpaid Federal employees.

Able Ape • Dec 27, 2017 7:35 PM

If you can't GET fired, how much work are you going to do?...

Deplorable • Dec 27, 2017 7:39 PM

Have to admit I am one of those overpaid contractors, but if they are willing to pay me for doing next
to nothing, it is no skin off my nose.

mosfet • Dec 27, 2017 7:46 PM

Fraud doesn't come cheap.

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