The Ten Highest-Paid Government Jobs

Working for the government is often referred to as public service.  The term implies sacrifice or taking less than what could be earned in the private sector or in an entrepreneurial position.  Many government workers seem overpaid but are probably underpaid when you consider the scope of their responsibilities. Indeed, many in the private sector would not want to stand up to the scrutiny required of a top public service job or to get elected to public office.

The salary of the President of the United States is actually a token sum considering the responsibilities of the office.  Still, officials in other public service jobs  seem egregiously overpaid.  People who hold these jobs are “set for life”  after their public service ends because they are in demand for paid speaking gigs, memoirs and consulting roles in private industry.

24/7 Wall Street has gathered data from many public sources to ferret out how much these top government officials earn. Salaries of some jobs are shielded from public scrutiny because of national security reasons.  We did not consider the healthcare and retirement packages, security and transportation benefits and more.  In some cases, our public service executives have actually taken considerable pay cuts to serve.

One thing also needs to be considered here.  Some government salaries are actually shielded under executive order.  Some of the shielded pay grades may be well into the hundreds of thousands or even more.  Some information, intelligence, and cloak and dagger positions are shielded and above our pay grade when it comes to identifying how much they are.

10. Secretary of State: Hillary Clinton
> Annual Base Salary: $186,600
> Maximum Job Length: Generally 8 Years
> Previous Job: Senator From New York

Job Description: The Secretary of State is appointed by the president to serve as chief diplomatic representative of the U.S. Besides overseeing all State Department operations, including the operations of the U.S. embassies and representation in the UN, Secretary of State Clinton is responsible for the foreign operations of the CIA, the Defense Department, and the Department of Homeland Security. Clinton is also fourth in the chain of succession for presidency.

9. Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner
> Annual Base Salary: $191,300
> Maximum Job Length: Generally 8 years
> Previous Job: President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Job Description: Appointed by the President, the Secretary of the Treasury serves as the principal economic advisor for the President. According to the Department of the Treasury: “The Secretary is responsible for formulating and recommending domestic and international financial, economic, and tax policy, participating in the formulation of broad fiscal policies that have general significance for the economy, and managing the public debt.” Geithner is a proxy for many other presidential cabinet members, who make the same amount, including Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

8. Senate Majority Leader: Harry Reid
> Annual Base Salary: $193,400
> Maximum Job Length: Indefinite, usually 4-8 years, or until Senate changes hands
> Previous Job: Governor of Nevada

Job Description: The Senate Majority Leader did not exist until the beginning of the 20th century. According to the U.S. Senate website: “The leader must keep himself briefed and informed on national and international problems in addition to pending legislative matters. On the floor of the senate he is charged by his party members to deal with all procedural questions in consultation with them and his party’s policy-making bodies.” Additionally, Reid must be in contact with all of the various committees and maintain a line of communication between them and the senate. This position stands as proxy for the minority and majority leaders in both the Senate and House, who all make the same amount.

7. Chairman of the Federal Reserve: Benjamin Bernanke
> Annual Base Salary: $199,700
> Maximum Job Length: 14-28 years
> Previous Job: Professor of Economics at Princeton

Job Description: The Chairman of the Federal Reserve is in charge of the Federal banking system of the U.S. As head of the fed, Bernanke dictates and explains the direction of U.S. fiscal policy and works with the Department of the Treasury.