| Topic Name: |
DI Promotion |
| Message Name: |
Why the Pay Differential? |
| Date Posted: |
01/27/2006 |
| In Reply To: |
As someone who has worked in the intel community as both a gov't employee and a contractor, I can say with certainty that the pay is better on the contractor side. My leaving the gov't to become a contractor resulted in an almost 66% pay raise.
That being said, I would caution those of you with no prior gov't or military service from going the contracting route. Few companies will spend the money getting someone their first security clearance (and if they have to shell out that money, it will be reflected in a lower starting salary pretty comparable to that of the gov't). Instead, IC/DOD contractors want people who already have that ticket punched, and the military or gov't service is pretty much the only way to do that.
This is especially true for contracting at CIA, because there not only do you need the clearance, but you need to pass a lifestyle (or "full scope") polygraph. Only a few agencies (CIA, NSA, FBI - a small part of DOD) give such polys, and most contractors won't pay to get you one. |
| Message: |
Easy. You lose the government benefits of a more secure job, and a better pension. That is why contracting makes sense for those with their 20 years of service. But remember, CIA is not employment for life. All it will take is a Democratic administration that wants to "reform" the CIA for "intelligence lapses", and 30% of the staff could be cut. It has happened before...
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