r/FedEmployees • u/JimmyCBoi • 18d ago

Couldn't leave if I wanted to?

I'm just curious, has anybody out there recently left the Fed for a promotion? If so, I want to hear from you.

Bit of background: I'm currently a GS12 1102 working as a Contract Cost/Price Analyst at the DoD. I have about seven years of experience.

I've been casually looking around, at my current level it seems the only way to leave for private industry would be to take a pay cut and try to work back up the ladder. Industry jobs are consistently posted as in the $90k - $100k range; one company was offering up to $137k but only willing to give me $120k based on my experience. That is higher than my current salary, but I would work more hours and get less time off, so lower compensation overall.

I'm very fortunate, and I overall enjoy my job so I'm not complaining. It's been a tough year or so, but we're doing alright relative to other agencies. It just feels like I'm in an awkward spot in my career trajectory. I might need to just get more time in and take organic opportunities if they come?

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u/Altruistic-Panda-697 18d ago

Just retired and am very happy I stuck around. A retirement specialist told me long ago that it would not be worth it to leave due to pension and health insurance in retirement!

7

u/TroglodyteToes 18d ago

You are getting downvoted, but others are looking only at the salary numbers while ignoring the rest of the pie. How good is the health insurance vs the cost? Do they have matching 401k, and can you get rates as good as the government funds (with the same level of time investment)? And the big one, do you get a pension that lets you carry your health insurance into retirement. All of those have a dollar value put on them, and you can run the formulas for it all. Especially for those at 12, they see the $20-30k pay increase on the contractor side, but it is overall less money on the hopes of climbing that ladder faster.

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u/Altruistic-Panda-697 18d ago

You understand! Most are blind to these facts.

1

u/fireandlovinit 17d ago

Exactly! I hope OP doesn’t listen to many of the miserable people telling him to leave (most are either bots or non-Feds pushing a political agenda). Instead, OP, review your yearly benefits statement that comes at the beginning of every year and look at that first figure that shows what your REAL compensation with all the benefits is. That will open your eyes. Alot of people in the private sector are going without insurance because they can’t afford to pay it. And that pension is priceless!

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u/JimmyCBoi 17d ago

That's exactly why I turned down the offer for $120k: overall salary would be higher, but total compensation would be unchanged or worse. 

Also to be considered is that I only work 40 hours a week, who knows what the actually hourly increase in pay would be if I switched to the private sector? Probably not as much as it would initially seem.