Government jobs have often been associated with the notion of public service done at a sacrifice of high wages. Today, however, this is just simply not the case. In fact, government workers make more on average than the private sector, and government jobs offer a lot of perks when it comes to parenting, especially for working moms. If you are a mom thinking of going back to work, check out this list of government career perks.
Money
You are going back to work to make money, so salary is the first and foremost incentive in choosing an employer. According to the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis, government employees earn an average annual compensation of around $106,000, which includes pay and benefits, compared to just $53,000 in the private sector. The incentive is in the numbers and those numbers will allow you to give your kids more opportunities and a more comfortable life.
Healthcare
Health insurance for an entire family is expensive. Even if your place of employment offers a health-insurance package, employees often have to pay some out-of-pocket expenses. Free healthcare is reason enough for moms to leave the private sector to work for the government.
Consistent Raises
As kids get older, so do their expenses. Soon, you’ll have college to think about. Government jobs are some of the best at keeping up with substantial raises. Employees will get a consistent raise of around 3.5 percent every year. This really helps when daycare turns into soccer camp and that turns into college and weddings.
Job Security
If you and your kids are depending on your salary, it will be very important to find a job that is not likely to fire or do regular layoffs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that private sector employees are three times more likely to get laid off than government employees.
Vacation and Personal Days
It’s great to have more money by going back to work, but moms don’t want to miss out on those special moments with their kids. Government employees get almost 10 more paid time off days per year than employees in the private sector. This means more time with your kids and more chances to take family trips that are priceless memories for parents and kids alike.
Early Retirement
Once the kids are gone from home, you may not feel the need to work as much as before. Government employees can retire much earlier than those in the private sector. Government retirees also enjoy health insurance for life if they have worked for 30 years or have reached the age of 55. If you start at 20, you could retire at 50. Move to Florida for a balmy retirement or go be closer to your kids.
If you are a mom making that difficult decision on how to reenter the work force, consider the benefits of a government job and what those benefits could mean to your family.
Callie Carter blogs about jobs in public administration. If you are considering a career in the government sector, you might be interested in applying for a degree in public administration at http://publicadmin.usc.edu or http://www.sfsu.edu
