Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Pay analysis finds state outstrips private sector for less-specialized jobs

  • by Keith M. Phaneuf
  • February 11, 2011
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Looking for a high-paying secretarial job? Your best bet would be state government. How about a university teaching post? Try the private sector.

A new report from state legislative researchers shows government salaries tend to outstrip the private sector when less training or education is required, and swings the other way for highly specialized posts.

The Office of Legislative Research analysis, posted this week in response to legislative inquiries, came on the heels of statements from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy that overall state spending on employee compensation and benefits is not sustainable in Connecticut’s struggling economy.

Using median wage data supplied by the state Department of Labor, the OLR report analyzed 16 occupations covering office and clerical work, health care, legal practice, and  higher education.

The report found most clerical posts, including typists, clerks and secretaries, earn between $1,800 and $17,200 more per year working for the state. The one exception involved legal secretaries, with private-sector annual pay running $10,500 ahead.

Union officials, not surprisingly, said the higher pay for state workers is warranted.

Larry Dorman, a spokesman for the union representing roughly 5,000 state clerical workers, said staffers at key human service state agencies such as the departments of Social Services or Mental Health & Addiction Services play a much larger role than most office workers in the private sector.

“These people have regular interaction with clients,” said Dorman, spokesman for Council 4 of the American, Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, adding they must develop a broad understanding of social service and medical programs to help clients find the right solution to their problems. “They are literally on the front lines to make these programs work.”

Deborah Chernoff, spokeswoman for the state’s largest health care workers’ union, lodged a similar criticism about findings that personal, home care and nursing aides can earn $15,000 to $19,000 more per year in government service.

“I don’t find it a particularly useful comparison,” she said, adding that most public-sector health care jobs come with added certification and educational requirements not found in private work.

But Sen. Tony Guglielmo of Stafford, ranking Republican senator on the legislature’s Labor and Public Employees Committee, said state government can’t afford not to reassess all of its compensation levels given the $3.7 billion deficit built into the fiscal year that begins July 1.

State employees salaries and benefits comprise about 30 percent of this year’s $19.01 billion budget, while the projected deficit legislators and Malloy must close equals nearly 20 percent of current spending.

“Obviously you can’t ignore something that’s as big of a part of the budget as that,” Guglielmo said.

Malloy publicly warned state employees for the first time on Feb. 2 that they would be asked to provide wage and benefit concessions to help close the deficit, adding that he believes compensation levels are not sustainable at this time.

“Have we opened up lines of communication? The answer is yes,” Malloy said at that time. “Will our budget assume a level of success in that regard? The answer is yes.”

The governor has not disclosed what savings target he will build into the budget he will propose to the legislature on Wednesday.

Guglielmo said he doesn’t believe the approach to concessions should be focused on specific state job-holders with a big compensation edge over the private sector. Similarly, state government can’t afford to bolster compensation right now for those government workers who could earn more in the private sector.

According to the OLR report, professors can earn $7,900 to $23,900 more per year in private academia than they can at state colleges and universities.

The analysis also compared the annual salary for the commissioner of the Department of Social Services, just under $167,000, with the top compensation packages for chief executive officers at three major Connecticut health insurance firms. Not surprisingly, the CEOs for Cigna United Health group and Aetna earn between $6.4 million to $17.9 million more than they would as DSS commissioner.

But Guglielmo said Connecticut would benefit from developing a long-term approach to achieve a more competitive salary structure, even if it doesn’t reap the benefits until a decade from now.

“You’re not going to turn that aircraft carrier around in two years, or even four years,” he said, but added that a redesigned salary structure could preserve jobs in the long haul. “The real problem we have here is that there is no more money. You could lay off a lot of people, but who wants to do that?”

Dorman responded, though, that state officials would be better off trying to find ways to bolster the earnings of private-sector, working families than in reducing pay for state employees. “That’s not going to create a single job or generate any long-term economic recovery for the middle class,” he said.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Keith M. Phaneuf

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
‘It’s a nightmare:’ A growing number of seniors are unable to book vaccine appointments as problems mount
by Dave Altimari and Jenna Carlesso

The state acknowledged Friday in an email to local health workers that some residents are waiting days for a callback.

Panel recommends small, inflationary pay hike for state officials
by Keith M. Phaneuf

Connecticut's part-time legislature hasn't received a pay hike since 2001. The annual base-pay for senators and representatives is $28,000.

Police task force seeks wider applicant pool for watchdog role
by Kelan Lyons

The task force sent four recommendations — and two that didn't get unanimous approval— to lawmakers for the 2021 session.

Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Opinion Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Opinion Connecticut’s $100 million college shell game
by Stephen Adair

The plan to consolidate the 12 community colleges in Connecticut into one college with 12 campuses is called “Students First,” which is ironic because it does not fund students first.  It funds a new administration in a new, statewide bureaucracy. The Board of Regents (BOR) and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system office […]

Opinion Inconsistent television captioning is a barrier to equal access
by Jeffrey Bravin and Barbara Cassin

Our world long ago entered the age of the 24-hour news cycle, and a full understanding of the “who, what, when, where and why” of the news is critical for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing citizens. Yet, Connecticut’s inconsistent quality of television captioning locks our community out of the complete sense of what is happening.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO