Anyone have any experience in public sector work? I currently work for my local government with a salary of 45k a year. Not gonna disclose my city or occupation, but the work is very manageable and appropriate for the salary. Although if I were in an equivalent position in the private sector, id have a better salary but less benefits. That's essentially the tradoff between public and private.
I've worked private sector before ( retail) making just above min wage which is on the higher side in that state. Basically felt like my job was just to make the company richer while facing the brunt of corporate bullshit.
Much different atmosphere in the public sector IME. Obviously ymmv, but it's something to consider. I know some public sector jobs require interaction with the public, such as DMV folks, public utilities and what not, but I'm not in that position. No quotas, no micromanaging from managers trying to get their bonus, and no pizza parties, although all of our major dept. meeting provided donuts, the motivation I felt was different. ( I've experienced the pizza party issue).
No more dealing with hour cuts, bad customers, asking permission to go to lunch or the bathroom. I think that's my favorite part, I can do whatever I want whenever I want as long as the job gets done.
As far as higher ups go, they're not focused on making money, they are focused on bettering the community, and I think thats what makes the work environment so much better. Ok, they may be focused on money a little bit ( budget season, taxes), but that's not to make a CEO even richer, that's just to continue providing resources for the city.
This is just my experience though. Not sure how it is at the state or federal level, and cities are obviously going to vary in competence and ethics. Even though I'm in an entry level position, I feel that what little I do contribute is more meaningful, then just making sure bottom lines are met at the expense of everyone else.
I've seen teachers discussed here, yeah they need to be paid more for what they do. It's all about what you do for the city. But you can definitely make a living wage if you have the right credentials.
Tl:Dr: public sector jobs can be very rewarding , while you may not make a ton of money, you'll most likely be getting some good benefits, and best of all, your not putting any money directly into some CEOs pocket.