I started as a GS-15 and stayed for almost 7 years. I hated a large chunk of it so went to a big consulting firm and still work for the government but my pay is 100k more and I have better benefits plus my boss and coworkers are really competent (which was not the case when I was government). I have no intention of ever returning to government

I thought I wanted to go SES, and planned to… but then was offered a job out of the blue in the private sector for about $60k more than my max GS 15 salary. Realized it was more than I would ever make as an SES, even with max bonus, and that I would have so much more freedom and authority than I would ever achieve in government. Left thinking I could always go back… and then a few years later made another huge salary jump to stay in private. No brainer.

In my experience, private sector benefits are all over the map. Coming from 15 years as a Fed, I look for opportunities with great benefits and have been successful.

In my executive branch agency, what I’ve observed is about a 7% bump from your current GS 15 pay. The bonuses are significantly better than a GS 15:i.e. top Level bonus for a GS 15 annually is about $6000 and it’s closer to $15K for a junior SES - net about &9K after taxes. So purely from a pay perspective, you’re probably looking somewhere around $400 increase per paycheck over 26 pay periods. The real difference is whether you have the stomach for the political aspects the HR issues at the higher levels and of course your work life balance, which takes a pretty big hit. Several colleagues of mine have taken the SES route and are tied 24 seven to their government phones and it includes many weekend hours to catch up due to meetings during the week. I think it really depends where you are in your career because after a long military care career for me it just isn’t worth it for the extra $ as I prefer my weekends off to spend with my wife, play golf or go on trips w/o stress. But if you’re midcareer with 10+ years to go nd can get the years in to build up the percentages for your pension (1% of the differential per year) and sock away your bonuses, you might find it worth the headaches and the extra hours. But having been private sector also between my military and my federal career, I’d argue that if money is your primary focus, then you are better going private sector after you’ve accumulated the years to qualify for a GS pension since the balance will be about the same so why not get paid more if that’s the goal? A manager/senior manager, much less Director or partner, makes as much or more than an SES and probably less political headaches, and after our stress. My two cents observations…

Anonymous wrote:I'm an attorney who went to the private sector in my niche area and make about 50% more than when I was a GS 15, including bonus and stock comp etc. I would strongly consider going back to govt in another 10 yrs or so but not to my old job.

In terms of political appointees, many make less than career feds (look up salaries - the are public) and yes worse hours and way less job security. It's more for the career jump and hoping to turn it into future opportunities and connections afterwards.

SES was not a viable path in my old org due to the structure, but it's very agency-spexiifx in terms of opportunities.

This is me exactly. My comp is roughly 50-60% more than my Fed salary and I have far more flexibility (FT WFH, very occasional travel). With small kids, it's perfect. I do occasionally miss gov't but I would never go back to my dysfunctional, nasty agency again.

I'm an attorney who went to the private sector in my niche area and make about 50% more than when I was a GS 15, including bonus and stock comp etc. I would strongly consider going back to govt in another 10 yrs or so but not to my old job.

In terms of political appointees, many make less than career feds (look up salaries - the are public) and yes worse hours and way less job security. It's more for the career jump and hoping to turn it into future opportunities and connections afterwards.

SES was not a viable path in my old org due to the structure, but it's very agency-spexiifx in terms of opportunities.

Anonymous wrote:What industry, PP? Sounds like you made a great decision.

technology. I kick myself for going federal- I lost so much income and it was really a dumb experience.

You can go to a financial regulator for higher pay, but many of those jobs are highly specialized and some agencies prefer to promote from within.

Anonymous wrote:I went to an agency with a different pay scale, so I remained at the staff level but got a raise. I did the private sector thing before government, no interest in returning.

Of my peer GS 15s at that last job, one went to a political appointee job that she likes but is temporary, dont know what the next step is. Two went SES, found the hours not worth the pay, and went back to being 15s. One went from 15 to private to SES. Two others remain 15s, one awaiting a particular SES opening she will excel at and one with no plans to move.

Nothing can really beat non-supervisory GS-15 especially if you work from home most of the week. There is no stress, there are more vacation days than you can manage to take, there is complete job stability, the work can be interesting but you can also choose to lean out when you need/want too. I’ve contemplated going private many times but ultimately I think gs-15 nonsupervisory is the sweet spot.

Anonymous wrote:I went to an agency with a different pay scale, so I remained at the staff level but got a raise. I did the private sector thing before government, no interest in returning.

Of my peer GS 15s at that last job, one went to a political appointee job that she likes but is temporary, dont know what the next step is. Two went SES, found the hours not worth the pay, and went back to being 15s. One went from 15 to private to SES. Two others remain 15s, one awaiting a particular SES opening she will excel at and one with no plans to move.

Those slim options are so hard to get into unless you have particular skillset.

SES responsibilities increased geometrically while the pay was about/ a little above minimum wage for the additional hours.
Too many SESers are in it for the power trip..

I went to an agency with a different pay scale, so I remained at the staff level but got a raise. I did the private sector thing before government, no interest in returning.

Of my peer GS 15s at that last job, one went to a political appointee job that she likes but is temporary, dont know what the next step is. Two went SES, found the hours not worth the pay, and went back to being 15s. One went from 15 to private to SES. Two others remain 15s, one awaiting a particular SES opening she will excel at and one with no plans to move.

Anonymous wrote:I had no interest in going SES- mainly because the people I knew who were SES were the worst of my coworkers, they were unqualified and the pay increase is not worth the commitment.

I went private. Initially I got a $50K pay increase from my maxed out GS-15 salary. I got 9% of my salary into a 401K, 200K in stock and eligible for 20% bonus which has always paid out. Within 9 months I got another increase. the pension didn't really factor into it because with the increase in pay and 401K- the numbers made more sense cumulative. I have no intention to ever go back fed. It was a miserable experience.

$200k in stock per year?? So essentially doubles your comp?

What industry, PP? Sounds like you made a great decision.

I had no interest in going SES- mainly because the people I knew who were SES were the worst of my coworkers, they were unqualified and the pay increase is not worth the commitment.

I went private. Initially I got a $50K pay increase from my maxed out GS-15 salary. I got 9% of my salary into a 401K, 200K in stock and eligible for 20% bonus which has always paid out. Within 9 months I got another increase. the pension didn't really factor into it because with the increase in pay and 401K- the numbers made more sense cumulative. I have no intention to ever go back fed. It was a miserable experience.

Relatively new GS15 who has a few years before grade compression hits me, generally wondering about what career choices I will make when the time comes. I’m assuming that the GS remains unreformed and that even for someone who is in it for the mission, that will get old after several years particularly as I will have many working years left.

If you went SES/political appointee/other higher wage offering federal employment:
- what’s your appointment and pay mechanism?
- how many more hours do you work then when you were a 15? This is my top concern with this set of career options… a significant blow to work/life balance.
- how do you feel about your job security? Seems like for some it is more tenuous then GS. A factor if one goes this route expecting the pension to be part of benefits of doing this vs going private.
- other significant pros/cons to your decision?

If you went private… I’m interested in hearing:
- how much more money you were offered to go private (and your sector to help put that in context)?
- what your retirement plan offerings are like in private and how loss of pension did or did not factor in to your decision?
- if you ever plan to return to fed govt (to get that pension back)?
- other significant pros/cons to your decision?

It would seem to me that going SES etc would almost inherently mean losing some work life balance and gaining some stress because the switch involves climbing to a new level in your career, but that going private sector may not have the same implications if you take what’s essentially a lateral move.

Thanks.