[Augustine23638]

Why does it seem that government workers and military (retired as well as active) speak so freely about how much money they make? I was always taught, growing up, that talking about how much money you make is kind of crude and vulgar. My family did not earn their living at public expense, though. Is there some kind of unwritten rule that those who are paid by Uncle Sam need to remind taxpayers where their money is going?

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Name : Augustine23638, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 38, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Andy23947]

As a former sailor, I think I can help answer this. When you're in the military, you essentially wear your paycheck on your sleeve, so it's no big secret. The only differences in pay levels within a rank are related to how long a particular rank has been held. In the civil service world, the answer is similar. As a side note, it was kind of a cultural shock for me when I left military service when I found that two people doing essentially the same job (in the same area) could have such a significant difference in income levels.

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[ACC24060]

When I was in the Army, I noticed most, except for officers, came from pretty poor backgrounds, the rural South or inner cities from all parts of the country. Talking about what you make in the service is bragging about your success, about how you made good in an honorable profession, not "at public expense" especially since the military is so underpaid for the incredible risks you take. Most in the same type of service don't see success as vulgar, but as a cause for celebration.

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Name : ACC24060, City : San Antonio, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Ex-Army, now grad student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Paula]

I was active duty for 10 years and was raised with the same belief that you have about it being in poor taste to go around talking about your earnings. I think the problem is that in the military, people of the same grade and rank make the same (low) amount of money, so it is often a subject of discussion. It is surprising to note, however, that many civilians often come right out and ask about our pay. I would never ask a person what they earn. Military people are paid by taxpayers, so salary is a matter of public record. Also, many people feel they have a right to know how their tax money is being spent.

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Name : Paula, Gender : F, Age : 31, City : Texarkana, State : AR Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Augustine23382]

These were some good responses and I appreciate them. Some clarification: (1) True, military and civil service pay, at least within bands reflecting time of service, is no secret. I was thinking more in terms of retirees who bring the same willingness to talk about their pay into civilian life, where it shocks some of those who have always kept their exact pay confidential. (2) I wholeheartedly agree that military pay is shamefully low. (3) I don't dispute celebrating one's success, and in the military, if you have a rank, then its pay scale is common knowledge. (4) In civilian life, two jobs side-by-side are not necessarily "equal work." If a person has more education, experience, skill, intelligence, etc., their work will usually be of better quality and efficiency, and it deserves higher pay. And some people just work harder than others.

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[Normand19944]

One reason Civil Servants may be free with that sort of information is that it is public information. If you know the generalities of a Civil Servant's occupation, you could get a pretty good idea of his wages/salary by looking in the Federal Almanac. I retired from Federal Civil Service some time ago, and if a person asked what my wages were I usually told him because, as I said, it was basically public information, anyway. I would usually then ask that person what he made. Volunteering that sort of information, though, could rightfully be considered uncouth.

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[KCD]

My brother is in the military, and I have applied for several government positions as well in the past. It is my understanding that military and government employees, unlike civilian occupations, are paid based on their position, not experience or expertise. Therefore, all captains and all FBI agents of a certain level make the same amount of money. Therefore, they feel more at ease telling how much they earn because, unlike in civilian jobs, there is very little chance that someone who is holding the same job as they are is making more than they are.

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