Tell Your Story: GS-15s Considering Quiting their Federal Government Jobs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone wanted to better manage government this is a good place to start. I’m self motivated but it’s hard to imagine exceling the same job for 20 more years with only COLAs.

Then youre not really SELF-motivated, you are money-motivated. Just be honest about it.

If I was money motivated I made horribly bad career choices! I meant more mission motivated. And maybe that’s enough for 20 more years. But it’s still hard to fathom.

I’ve been paycapped for quite awhile. I’m still motivated by mission but it is just feels odd to have everyone around you getting pay raises and you do not. And yet you have way more responsibility than they do. It just does not make sense. I am too close to retirement to leave but I have dialed way back on my level of commitment and output, although it took several years of being paycapped before I consciously slowed down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine leaving a high paying fed job later in ones career, just because of the pension. It's a non-linear payoff (greater) for each additional year because of how the salary moves the high 3. That is unless you came in very high, but I know I didn't.

But once you’re at the max for three years no point staying if you are eligible to retire. I left since the additional $10 a month or so I would have gotten by staying longer wasn’t worth it. Hours too long and sense of mission crushed by egos scrambling for the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine leaving a high paying fed job later in ones career, just because of the pension. It's a non-linear payoff (greater) for each additional year because of how the salary moves the high 3. That is unless you came in very high, but I know I didn't.

But once you’re at the max for three years no point staying if you are eligible to retire. I left since the additional $10 a month or so I would have gotten by staying longer wasn’t worth it. Hours too long and sense of mission crushed by egos scrambling for the top.

Yes. Always a good idea to run the numbers. Small differences in pay do not really affect the bottom line that much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I left because I topped out, and with 15 years left to work, it didn't make sense with what I could earn in the private sector to continue to sit and never make any more money aside from COLA. I wasn't interested in SES life.

Exact same situation but I went to a financial regulator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I left because I topped out, and with 15 years left to work, it didn't make sense with what I could earn in the private sector to continue to sit and never make any more money aside from COLA. I wasn't interested in SES life.

This is exactly my story. Very glad I made the move.

Same. Add to my story that my coworkers were horrid and I was so miserable. I went to the private sector with a significant pay increase, better benefits, better coworkers and fully remote. I made a spreadsheet with the salaries side by side and like a 2% increase for the next 12 years and the retirement doesn’t make up for it. I have already gotten a 20% increase this year.

[Anonymous]

’ve been paycapped for quite awhile. I’m still motivated by mission but it is just feels odd to have everyone around you getting pay raises and you do not. And yet you have way more responsibility than they do. It just does not make sense. I am too close to retirement to leave but I have dialed way back on my level of commitment and output, although it took several years of being paycapped before I consciously slowed down.

This. Not considering leaving, but I am also not going the extra mile like I used to. I mean, why kill myself for a maybe 4.1% raise (when inflation is much higher) and a $3000 bonus? And yes, that was my pre-COVID bonus for a year in which I worked around the clock and completed a major investigation.

[Anonymous]

NP here...I definitely feel it. I have been a non-sup GS-15 since I was 31. As a maxed out GS-15 at 41 now, I am definitely feeling the grind. If it were not for young kids and the flexibility, I would definitely leave for the private sector. DH left his fed job at 38 and became an independent consultant. He has tripled his gov't pay. We just need one stable job but waiting another 18 years for retirement feels so depressing.

[Anonymous]

For those who left, So do you give up the retirement and healthcare?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah I’m in this mix. Not sure yet what I’ll do. I am early 40s and want to work part time as my spouse has a big job and our kids are young. I don’t even care what the job is at this point. I have an excellent reputation and will happily do lower level work if it means I can stay. But Usg makes part time practically impossible to find. Especially for people who are actually very experienced and have a lot to offer. It’s like if they can’t have me 10 hrs a day they don’t want me. I’m trying to figure out what to do.

Are you a supervisor? At my agency it's easy for non-supervisory 15s to go part-time. We have quite a few and I've never heard of anyone being disapproved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those who left, So do you give up the retirement and healthcare?

pension depends on length of your service. you don't give it up, you just get less. healthcare can cost you but if you are willing to work until 65, at least you can sign up with medicare

[Anonymous]

you dont give up the retirement savings. you take the tsp account (401k) saved so far and the roughly 1% of salary x years of service annuity with you. you give up healthcare in retirement (absent medicare eligibility after 65). is it dumb to leave a few years from retirement eligibility? sure. but is the calculus completely different if you are say 40-55? yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who left, So do you give up the retirement and healthcare?

pension depends on length of your service. you don't give it up, you just get less. healthcare can cost you but if you are willing to work until 65, at least you can sign up with medicare

Put your 20 years in, leave, and you can make much more.money to make up for any lost retirement in the private sector. I will have to work until 65 anyhow, so doesn't make any difference health care wise.

Federal benefits are no longer a competitive as they once where, and salaries aren't keeping up with inflation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:this is easy. no one feels sorry for capped GS-15s, but the pay has fallen so extremely far below what is available in the private sector. if your family HHI is only 1 GS-15 salary, it doesnt go very far and is at times pretty challenging in this high COL area

Yes, my DH is a GS-15, and when he first got the job 15 years ago it seemed like a good salary. Now with inflation it seems too low for being at director level in this HCOL area, even with the step level increases. It’s hard to believe that the top pay level is barely enough to support a family in this area. He’s focused on the job stability, though, so he will never leave.

Can’t you work?

PP here. I do work. I wish I didn’t have to! I’m just pointing out that the value of the compensation has decreased over time.

Yep, the years of 0% pay increases compound more and more and the lousy raises don't help either. I think a capped 15 makes about 12.4% more than they did in 2010.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:this is easy. no one feels sorry for capped GS-15s, but the pay has fallen so extremely far below what is available in the private sector. if your family HHI is only 1 GS-15 salary, it doesnt go very far and is at times pretty challenging in this high COL area

Yes, my DH is a GS-15, and when he first got the job 15 years ago it seemed like a good salary. Now with inflation it seems too low for being at director level in this HCOL area, even with the step level increases. It’s hard to believe that the top pay level is barely enough to support a family in this area. He’s focused on the job stability, though, so he will never leave.

Can’t you work?

PP here. I do work. I wish I didn’t have to! I’m just pointing out that the value of the compensation has decreased over time.

Yep, the years of 0% pay increases compound more and more and the lousy raises don't help either. I think a capped 15 makes about 12.4% more than they did in 2010.

np- i don't remember what i made in 2010 but i am not sure how you came up with 12.4%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:this is easy. no one feels sorry for capped GS-15s, but the pay has fallen so extremely far below what is available in the private sector. if your family HHI is only 1 GS-15 salary, it doesnt go very far and is at times pretty challenging in this high COL area

Yes, my DH is a GS-15, and when he first got the job 15 years ago it seemed like a good salary. Now with inflation it seems too low for being at director level in this HCOL area, even with the step level increases. It’s hard to believe that the top pay level is barely enough to support a family in this area. He’s focused on the job stability, though, so he will never leave.

Can’t you work?

PP here. I do work. I wish I didn’t have to! I’m just pointing out that the value of the compensation has decreased over time.

Yep, the years of 0% pay increases compound more and more and the lousy raises don't help either. I think a capped 15 makes about 12.4% more than they did in 2010.

np- i don't remember what i made in 2010 but i am not sure how you came up with 12.4%.

If you're pay capped, you don't get the locality pay increases, nor do you get step increases.