How do government and public service salaries compare with similar positions in the private sector?
The degree of salary difference between public and private sector jobs depends on several factors, including type of position and geographical location. According to Professor Emeritus Alan Schechter, a good example of the difference between public and private sector salaries is that an entry-level Congressional staff person earns $23-25,000/year, while an entry-level private sector paralegal earns about $35,000/year plus overtime. Are all government internships/jobs really just “busy” office-work, a.k.a. “pushing paper”? Which internships/jobs in the public sector have the best opportunities to offer more responsibilities and substantive work experience? Not all government jobs involve “pushing paper.” All jobs involve at least some paper work, which is true regardless of sector, type of job, or level of seniority. It is difficult to generalize about different categories of jobs for the most part because the structure of an internship or job experience hinges so much on the willingnes