California Public Employees Top The Pay Charts, But Are They Earning Too Much?

Image courtesy of Lane V. Erickson via Shutterstock .

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week ranks public employees in California as some of the nation's highest paid in 2010. Some residents feel that public workers' pay rates are completely justifiable due to the state's higher cost of living, but others believe they're simply paid too much.

Full-time employees of state and local governments were paid an average of $5,774 in March 2010, according to Pasadena Star-News. Only local public employees of Washington, D.C. received larger paychecks than those in California, totaling an average of $5,900 during the same period. New Jersey, New York and Washington followed closely on the heels of California in worker pay.

"People all say (public employees) are overpaid in Washington and California, but you just can't do that," said Sylvia Allegretto, an economist at the U.C. Berkeley Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. "They're going to be higher in California than Mississippi. We do have a higher cost of living and our wages reflect that." Allegretto also says public employees tend to be better educated that those of the private sector and should be paid well.

Azusa resident Richard Harris, 72, is not convinced by Allegretto's claims and feels that California public workers are paid too much. "That's why we have no money," Harris said. "That's why the state is broke."

Police, electric power workers and firefighters are the Golden State's highest paid public employees, with firefighters raking in the most at $9,774 on average each month. Following firefighters in pay, electric power workers make about $8,600. Police earn approximately $8,400 per month. Keep in mind, the census figures do not provide overtime numbers. Firefighters are often obligated to work 20 to 30 hours of overtime every month, according to Carroll Wills, spokesman for the California Professional Firefighters. Many feel firefighters and police earn their pay due to the risky nature of their roles.

But let's not forget about our educators. On average, California teachers make $6,045 per month.

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By Lauren Lloyd in News on February 6, 2012 10:10 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

USA_mom

On the surface, teachers' pay doesn't look high, but remember that they do not work summer break, winter break and are off for several holidays and vacations. This article doesn't mention the benefits. Pension packages allow employees to retire with up to 80 percent of their salaries with 20 years of service. If you get out of college at 23, you can retire at 43, but if you want lifetime medical, you stay until you are 55. Not bad, getting 56,000, plus medical and dental for the rest of your life, eh? Plus, you can work 1/2 time for the government OR get a job in the private sector (full time). So you can earn a full salary, plus get your pension on the side. Oohwaah! However, it's important to point out that many of these same employees are underpaid, so it is important NOT to make blanket cuts in wages or demand that all pay an astronomical percentage towards benefits. Employees should be dealt with on a case by case basis according to their contracts and what other employees are paid for doing the same work. Just because US companies have shippped our jobs away and caused our wages to drop drastically, doesn't mean we should be in a race to the bottom. We need to get a decent wage for our labor.

charmain lowe

Sorry those are not the facts for teachers. There is no longer life time medical benefit for teachers over the last 8 years. After 20 years a teacher can retire on 40% of their pay and must be age 55 or older.
Although, I must agree with you that employees need to be looked at on a case by case basis and wage cut have gone to race to the bottom.

BaileyId

Wow. Seems pretty biased reporting. Snarky, too. Ask anyone who teaches in the public schools here. It's a really challenging and exhausting job. You don't do it for the pay, you can only survive teaching if you love it. Have you ever taught a class? How about a class where you have no support from school administrators and have to manage parents who don't support their kids--who don't know how or who don't care--and blame you for all failings. In many cases, a teacher is parent and educator--the sole reliable person in a child's life. And the take home pay of someone who makes 72,000, is probably more like 50,000. Try to buy a house in Los Angeles if your family consists of two teachers and several children. Lame reporting of reported facts. Web journalism at its finest!