A Congressional Budget Office study examining differences between Federal and private pay, found that about one third of Federal technical and clerical employees receive higher salaries than their counterparts in the private sector. Some Federal pay systems allow managers greater authority in setting salaries, while other special rate designations give employees more pay for high demand occupations. Even Federal employees making less than their private sector counterparts may receive benefits and other conditions of employment which compensate for lower pay.
See "Federal Tech, Clerical Salaries Exceed Private Sector", Eric Yoder, The Washington Post, May 13, 2004