wisconsin one of 41 states where public workers earn more - usatoday.com

8/7/2019 Wisconsin one of 41 states where public workers earn more - USATODAY.com

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By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY Updated 3d 3h ago | 1969 35 Share

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Wisconsin one of 41 states where public workersearn more

Wisconsin is one of 41 states where public employees earn higher average pay and

benefits than private workers in the same state, a USA TODAY analysis finds. Still, the

compensation of Wisconsin's government workers ranks below the national average for

non-federal public employees and has increased only slightly since 2000.

The finding comes as the Midwestern state remains in

the center of efforts by several governors to reduce

budget shortfalls in part by requiring state and local

government workers to pay more for health and

retirement benefits.

The standoff reaches a crucial point today when

Republican Gov. Scott Walkerpresents a proposed

budget for the year beginning July 1. He says layoffs of

state workers may begin if the Legislature does not

adopt his proposal to curb collective-bargaining rights of

public workers and require them to pay a higher share of

the cost of benefits.

TABLE: Public, private workers compensation gap

WISCONSIN: Capitol locked, protesters remain inside

PHOTOS: Thousands rally for union rights

BUDGET BATTLES: Full coverage

The analysis of government data found that public

employees' compensation has grown faster than the

earnings of private workers since 2000. Primary cause:

the rising value of benefits.

Wisconsin is typical. State, city and school district

workers earned an average of $50,774 in wages and

benefits in 2009, about $1,800 more than in the private

sector. The state ranked 33rd in public employee

compensation among the states and Washington, D.C. It

had ranked 20th in 2000.

In contrast, California's public employees enjoyed soaring compensation throughout that

state's decade-long budget crisis.

The analysis included full and part-time workers and did not adjust for specific jobs, age,

education or experience. In an earlier job-to-job comparison, USA TODAY found that

state and local government workers make about the same salary as those in the private

sector but get more generous benefits.

Economist Jeffrey Keefe of the liberal Economic Policy Institute says the analysis is

misleading because it doesn't reflect factors such as education that result in higher pay

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2/6

for public employees.

Key state-by-state findings:

California. Public employee compensation rose 28%

above the inflation rate from 2000 to 2009 to an average

of $71,385 in 2009.

Nevada. Government employees earned an average of

$17,815 more or 35% than private workers, the

nation's biggest pay gap. The state's low-paying private

jobs in tourism were the cause, says Bob Potts of the

Center for Business and Economic Research at

University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Texas. The state ranked last in benefits for public

employees. The state hasn't granted cost-of-living increases to most retirees since

2001.

Some states that limit the right of public employees to unionize such as Texas,

Georgia and Virginia pay less in compensation than the private sector.

Massachusetts and New Hampshire generally permit unions but pay less than the

private sector in those high-income states.

Compensation gap by state for public, private workers

State and local government workers earn more than private-sector workers in 41 states.

Average compensation (including salaries and benefits) in 2009 and difference with

private-sector workers:

Rank State Compensation Difference

1 District of Columbia $82,607 +$457

2 Connecticut $77,697 +$7,687

3 New Jersey $72,007 +$6,681

4 California $71,385 +$7,977

5 New York $71,282 +$1,699

6 Rhode Island $69,284 +$17,603

7 Nevada $68,785 +$17,815

8 Maryland $65,947 +$6,931

9 Massachusetts $62,562 $4,688

10 Alaska $60,882 +$2,764

11 Illinois $60,274 +$485

12 Delaware $60,077 +$2,911

13 Hawaii $59,595 +$12,243

14 Washington $59,288 +$532

15 Michigan $58,801 +$6,436

16 Florida $58,749 +$9,099

17 Arizona $56,321 +$4,310

18 Minnesota $55,826 +$1,259

19 Virginia $55,705 $2,328

20 Oregon $55,682 +$5,607

21 Pennsylvania $55,137 +$1,567

22 Colorado $54,184 $3,391

23 Wyoming $53,460 +$3,116

24 South Carolina $52,591 +$7,590

25 Ohio $52,473 +$2,392

26 Louisiana $52,412 +$2,473

27 New Hampshire $52,181 $1,876

28 Vermont $51,503 +$5,811

29 New Mexico $51,428 +$5,715

30 Texas $51,310 $3,580

31 Alabama $50,999 +$5,001

32 North Carolina $50,902 +$1,857

33 Wisconsin $50,774 +$1,802

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34 Iowa $50,394 +$6,178

35 Utah $50,149 +$2,611

36 Maine $49,850 +$4,912

37 Georgia $49,600 $3,875

38 Indiana $49,157 +$1,183

39 Missouri $49,092 $1,075

40 Nebraska $48,953 +$3,130

41 Kentucky $48,046 +$2,313

42 Arkansas $48,033 +$4,196

43 West Virginia $47,899 +$3,655

44 Tennessee $47,891 $756

45 Montana $47,596 +$7,396

46 Oklahoma $47,258 +$1,667

47 Mississippi $46,375 +$4,713

48 Idaho $45,280 +$2,855

49 Kansas $44,803 $3,229

50 North Dakota $43,619 +$389

51 South Dakota $41,684 +$1,909

Total United States $57,775 +$2,511

Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis; USA TODAY analysis

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1570 comments Sort:Oldest to Newest

Score: 184gunner4119:32 PM on February 28, 2011

"The analysis included full and part-time workers and did not adjust for

specific jobs, age, education or experience"

So in other words, they compared the salary of a government District

Attorney with that of a private sector burger flipper. The DA made more

money.

Shocking!!!

What a worthless study.

15 replies

Report Abuse

Score: 3SpeakerFTD9:56 PM on February 28, 2011


4/6

To be fair, this is a pretty complex topic. Lots of hype and yelling, but very

few people even understand how collective bargaining works for public

unions.

Here is a YouTube that I found helpful. Worth a listen if you want to

understand the topic in more depth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x-jC5h421U

Report Abuse

Score: 62go2goal

9:56 PM on February 28, 2011That's good news...the government workers aren't falling as fast as their

private sector peers into the Chinese peasant class.

I'm a white collar private sector worker...I've had salary compression like

you can't imagine...and I an by no means alone. We've all been

squeezed and squeezed and squeezed by US corporations...arbitraging

us Vs Chinese and Indian peasants.

Thank god there are some workers that are at least hold their salaries at

flat levels.

2 replies

Report Abuse

Score: -84go2goal9:59 PM on February 28, 2011

We also need to acknowledge: USA Today is a Republican leading rag.

I'd like to see the "USA Today analysis" that resulted in this questionable

conclusion.

I've seen several other labor study analysis that concluded the

opposite...public workers still not on par with their private sector peers.

USA Today...show the data.

4 replies

Report Abuse

Score: 89FrenchOfficial9:59 PM on February 28, 2011

"The analysis included full and part-time workers and did not adjust for

specific jobs, age, education or experience." So, the private sector 15 yr

old does not make as much as a professor? That' so unfair! Call in the

Stubernor! Let's dig our heels in deeper!

3 replies

Report Abuse

Score: 98publicservant10:01 PM on February 28, 2011

I find it amazing that media continues to report these studies/analysis that

do not take into account compensation based on education and

experience. The public sector has some of the highest educated andmost experienced workers in the country. Most positions require previous

experience in the private sector before even qualifying for government

positions. I work in government after spending 15+ years in the private

sector. I like many of my co-worker took a significant pay cut to serve the

public. I have never seen an honest study on compensation in the private

sector versus the public sector based on profession, education, and

experience. I can tell you from my experience professionals (i.e.

engineers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc) make far better

compensation in the private sector than they do in the public sector.

These professionals are often drawn to serve the public because the

private sector does not independently operate in the best interest of the

public without the oversight and regulation of public servants

Report Abuse


5/6

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knowledgeable in the professions.

4 replies

Score: 99cgallaway10:01 PM on February 28, 2011

I would say the number one cause that public sector employees make

more would be because private sector jobs have had their pay and

benefits outpaced by inflation.

1 reply

Report Abuse

Score: 61hockeydavie10:10 PM on February 28, 2011

WHAT A JOKE......DID YOU GET THIS PART......"The analysis included

full and part-time workers and did not adjust for specific jobs, age,

education or experience".....just a minor

fact.....when you fact this stuff in the public sector earns less!!!

The "CORPORATE PAPER" that published this is attempting to

get the middle-class to against each other..don't fall for it!

2 replies

Report Abuse

Score: 25

lulubelle195610:14 PM on February 28, 2011

The tag line doesn't match the second sentence "Still, the compensation

of Wisconsin's government workers ranks below the national average for

non-federal public employees and has increased only slightly since

2000."

It is 2011, that is 11 years of no increases for WI workers, compared to

what, Wall Street and corporations?

4 replies

Report Abuse

Score: 11waterfall1110:15 PM on February 28, 2011

This is just the start of government workers salary and retirement checksbeing cut by at least 20% over the next 12 months.

This has to come as the taxpayer will not pay more and is demanding big

tax cuts and less government.

6 replies

Report Abuse


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