There is no question that for people of limited skills at the bottom of the pyramid federal employment is a very good deal. But the pay is quite low for many professional positions. here is a typical current job ad for an expereinced engineer in a life critical job:
Civil Engineer at the Department of Energy
- Duty Locations: New York City, NY and Chicago, IL
- Major Duties: Inspect engineering evaluation and analysis of non-federal hydroelectric projects to insure the safety of the projects and compliance with the terms of the license, the provisions of the Federal Power Act and the Commission regulations. Review and perform evaluations and analyses; and prepare engineering reports to establish and document the dam safety, public safety, and environmental and license compliance of the Commission hydroelectric projects.
So this is a person who is doing life safety reviews on major Hydro power systems
The posted salary range for New York is
Salary Range: $68,625.00 - $89,217.00
If you think you can get a top engineer for that price who is willing to take crap from every ignorant member of the public who thinks feds are overpaid you do not understand the market for engineers.