Govt employee clueless on private sector salaries

Richard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax FightersRichard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax Fighters 4 Comments

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To see how out of touch government employees are with the private sector, consider this quote from a KPBS article on San Diego County pay raises (I’m quoted in the article as well):

Michelle Bush of the District Attorney’s Office . . . :

“Our DDA1’s start out around $55,000 to $60,000 a year,” she said. “We’re talking about an attorney coming out of law school making $60,000 a year as opposed to what they may make in the private sector, which may be two to three times that amount.”

So it’s common for private sector beginning attorneys to make $120K to $180K? Really???????

Not according to www.payscale.com. The median salary scale for new attorneys ranges from $45,384 to $69,351.

And the ones making the high range are expected to work 60-100 hours a week to get ahead. I seriously doubt county attorneys face such work requirements.

And then there’s those WONDERFUL government pensions . . . .

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Comments 4

  1. First year attorneys from good law schools who get hired at medium to large private firms are getting $120-180K a year in larger CA markets. Better health plans are offered, as are better 401K & profit sharing plans. They are expected to bill 1850-2200 hours a year, about 50-60 hours a week.

  2. To She’s right….

    A) We probably don’t want to look at first years. We want to look at fourths….because many (majority?) of the first, second, and third year atttornies are going to in the DA’s office looking for courtroom experience before moving on. Essentially the equivilent of a post-doc/internership for MDs. You are giving up wages for experience you believe will yeild higher salaries/job satisfaction in the future.

    B) If you think first years are getting 120-180K right now in this market you have not been paying attention. Note too your qualifier – you say “good law schools….and “medium to large” firms. Are you implying (chuckle) that the quality of applicants and the associate hires at say a Baker Mac is the same as the SD DA ? This from a department run by a graduate of the DISTINGUISHED Thomas Jefferson School of Law . Praytell, how many senior partners at San Diego’s medium and large firms graduated from such a prestigious and difficult to gain admitance school of jurisprudence?

  3. @ CMR: I concur with “A” and most of “B”. Quality people get paid quality salaries: “$160,000 remained the prevailing starting salary at large firms in major cities such as New York and Los Angeles, a higher percentage of associates last year started with salaries of between $130,000 and $145,000.” Link: http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202471859414&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1
    @ Rich – if you don’t believe the link, ask one of your attorney friends what associates are getting paid at good firms in SD.
    And yes, we have Harvard, Hastings, Berkeley, Yale and even USC law grads at my office. Money is not the only motivator, public service is as well.

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