The Number of Federal Workers That Earn More Money Than Any State Governor Is Staggering
Working for the federal government could be more financially lucrative than being elected governor of a U.S. state, according to a new report.
A 40-page report titled “Mapping the Swamp: A Study of the Administrative State” states that nearly 30,000 federal employees are earning salaries which surpass those of any state governor.
According to the report, which was released by government watchdog group Open The Books, there are “29,852 federal employees who out-earn every governor of the 50 states, receiving more than $190,823 each.”
The study outlined the significant growth in federal salaries from 2010 to 2016.
Over that period, the report said, “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.”
The biggest reported earner is Dr. David Harpole, a thoracic and cardiac surgeon for the Department of Veterans Affairs, who raked in $403,849 during the 2016 fiscal year.
The Department of Veterans Affairs apparently houses more top earners than any other agency or department, according to the watchdog group.
Federal employees earning six-figure salaries are reportedly becoming more common. Of the 2 million employees reviewed, 406,960 made six-figure salaries in 2016.
Meanwhile, 24,799 federal workers earned $200,000 or more, and 3,154 earned at least $300,000.
As noted by Fox News, many of these workers make more than governors across the country.
In 2016, the highest-earning governor in the U.S. was Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, who earned $190,823, according to Ballotpedia. At $70,000, Paul LePage of Maine had the lowest salary.
Some governors, like Bill Haslam of Tennessee and Rick Snyder of Michigan, have refused to accept all or part of their salaries.
Haslam gave his salary back to the state in 2016, while Snyder returned all of his compensation except for one dollar.
Meanwhile, Andrew Cuomo of New York accepted a 5 percent reduction for the 3rd time in 2016.
According to Open The Books, federal employees were also compensated with an average of 10 federal holidays, 13 sick days and 20 vacation days.
The study estimates that those benefits, if used, would cost U.S. taxpayers $22.6 billion every year.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
