[Anonymous]

Waiting on the check out line and couple of young ladys was talking about their job. One was working in healthcare and the other one was in public accounting. I was was not surpriesed how much complaining to her friend about working in public accounting. She says the hours are crazy and ridiculous. Some clients are pain in the ass that it makes your blood pressure boiled. The best complain she said would be time reports. Every time she hands in the time report there always a question like you spend this much time on these client? Did you forget any other clients? She further questions why does gov’t work forty hours a week and we work this crazy hours. After all this i had to jump in and say I totally agree on what you say and we both laugh. she says that why there is such a high turnover rate. nobody want to deal with this craziness and people are starting to see that accounting is overrated and that why accounting firms have to promote this profession in college when you do not see that in other industry. She finally close with do not go public accounting if you donot have too.

[Anonymous]

If money is the motive, I never heard of someone making six figures in a solid 9 to 5, 40 hours a week, 2,080 hours a year. Sure, she can say gov't employees have a set schedule, but look how miserable they are with their low pay and boring job. I'd rather have chaos and boiling blood than to have my mind be wasted working a job that requires no skill or thought.

[mw798]

“Sure, she can say gov't employees have a set schedule, but look how miserable they are with their low pay and boring job.”

That is so not true with a federal government job. I know more than a few government auditors and accountants who work 40 hours or less a week and earn over six figures. Not only 40 hours, but a couple work 4 days a week, taking the Friday off by working an extra 2 hours which they tell me is not strictly enforced.

Why people continue to believe the myth that government doesn't pay is beyond me as the salaries are public to anyone. Sure, some state government jobs have low pay, but the federal government is bloated with six figure jobs that only require a 40 hour work week. There's a reason why many who get into the Federal government never leave and become lifers. If you work the system, it's great pay, great benefits, and great work life balance.

[Martin]

I used to work for the SEC, and I know for a fact that after 5 years you are ranked as GS12, which is close to 95K to 105K.

DunkinDonutsJunkie was talking about state gov jobs,which I also know they dont make much.

Through God all things can happen!

“You never fail until you stop trying.”
― Albert Einstein
When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people;as I grow older, I admire kind people.
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

FAR= 72-84
Audit= 73-82
BEC= 74-75
Reg=77

[mw798]

DunkinDonutsJunkie – Well I guess now you have heard of people making six figures working 40 hours a week.

[Anonymous]

mw798 – sign me up!

[Anonymous]

so by gov't does this chick mean gov't accounting? or was she complaining about general gov't like bill o'reilly?

[Anonymous]

True that federal gov't has good flexibility about work schedules and the pay is not bad at all. I have every other Friday off by working an extra hour plus I am able to work at home. The pay will depend on the area where you live but could be in the six figures. And…Its not boring at all!

[Anonymous]

My dad worked for the government. Never worked more than 40 hours a week. Is now retired at 55 with a six figure pension adjustable with inflation. Not too shabby.

[Anonymous]

I know several federal gov't accountants and state gov't auditors that make 100k+/year. And as far as I know if they work over 40hr a week its by personal choice and most of them are on alternate work schedules and have off every other Friday. Not too bad, IMO.

[Anonymous]

@cpaexamstress – btw, are you from new york? i read an article recently where new yorkers say waiting on line instead of waiting in line. just curious.

[mw798]

Salaries of government employees are public information and a quick search of accounting on any of the available public databases such as this:

https://www.fedsdatacenter.com/federal-pay-rates/index.php?n=&l=&a=&o=ACCOUNTING&y=2014

Reveals that, just from scanning the first 10 pages of results, close to 50% are above 6 figures.

[Anonymous]

Thanks bruh, sorry about my ignorance. I'm glad to see there's a reasoning behind the pension crisis now 😛

[mw798]

“I'm glad to see there's a reasoning behind the pension crisis now :P”

That's not the worst part. A lot of government workers when they reach their mid 50s will go for retirement and collect their pension and then at the same time come back to their job as a contractor in the same capacity as their prior role charging something like $150 per hour.

The majority of workers don't do this double dipping, but it's enough that it's noticeable.

The high salaries don't bother me as if you are able to secure that pay then good for you, but the double dipping is pretty bad.

[quittingcpa2013]

DEA accountants making so much! Thanks war on drugs!

[Anonymous]

@mw798 – wow, i never knew that could happen. but in all seriousness, when i initially reacted to the first post i thought the girl in the story was talking about traditional/low end gov't jobs like dmv, court house clerk, etc. etc. I didn't realize she was probably talking about gov't acct. or higher up jobs you earn through hard work. what i meant was… sure you can take those low end gov't jobs, but most likely it's so routine you'd get bored quickly and never be truly happy. didn't mean to start a feud, sorry!

[Author]

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