you might want to have a look at this

http://www.cio.com/...uch_As_Its_Own_IT_Workers

that's only because CWA hasn't gained a foothold in IT work yet. once CWA convinces IT that IT should be represented by them, then they'll rule all of the planet and doomsday will be here.

guess i should demand a raise, i don't get paid as much as those bozos.

meh, technically i probably have a better hourly rate than them because you're essentially looking at how much the government is paying a company to provide that type of labor, not at what that laborer is being paid.

One of the commentors on that thread explained it pretty well.


The government is setup in a GS pay scale type system. Which has years of work requirements for advancement.

Some of the best IT proffesionals are not old, they are young. And because of that, those young IT proffesionals are making far less than someone of the same age and skill set working outside the government.

Until they fix the GS pay scale system which has many many flaws, contracts and contractors will continue to cost Americans a ton of money. Remember, the government is paying the contracting agencies alot of money, but the contractor himself is only making around 50%-60% of that, with the other 40% going to the contracting company.

I know this, because I work in the IT field and have worked for the government.

Part of the off-set is also the level of benefits that the U.S. govt offers over the average private firm....although that still doesn't compensate for the lost pay.

It balances out quite a bit but the contractors still come out ahead a bit.