News Roundup: State Employee Compensation Study
Media across the state covered the Delaware Public Policy Institute's study on state employee compensation vs. their private sector counterparts.
Here are three of the stories:
"The often-repeated claim that state employees in Delaware could find better pay in the private sector is a myth, according to a report by pro-business think tanks issued Monday."
DOVER — A report released Monday by the Delaware Public Policy Institute — a nonprofit associated with the State Chamber of Commerce — concludes that while state employees earn lower salaries on average than comparable private sector employees, their benefits packages more than make up the difference.
A new study shows average total compensation of state employees – excluding teachers and law enforcement — substantially exceeds compensation for workers in Delaware’s private sector who have similar levels of education and experience.
A Delaware Public Policy Institute study found state employees earn about 12.4 percent less than similarly qualified private-sector workers but they receive benefits packages 53 to 102 percent more generous than most private sector workers. Particularly health coverage, retiree health plans and pension benefits are substantially more generous for state employees.
You can read the full study here.
https://netellercasinosite.com makes me think about how quick people are to compare salaries without adding in benefits, and that 53 to 102 percent gap is exactly why the headline number alone can mislead. Having job hunted on both sides, I can say a pension and retiree health plan are worth far more than most people realize until they try to buy equivalent coverage themselves. The caveat about excluding teachers and law enforcement also seems worth keeping in mind before anyone generalizes the finding too broadly.