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Being a government worker pays. State and local government workers averaged $42.09 in compensation per hour, according to the Labor Department. Private industry employees averaged $29.11

(AP file photo)

Get a good government job. On average, you'll be paid more than your private sector counterparts, according to employee compensation data released Wednesday by the Labor Department.Employees in private industry received an average of $29.11 per hour in total compensation in June. That included $20.47 in salary and $8.64 in benefits. State and local government workers averaged $42.09 per hour in compensation. That included $27.16 in salary and $14.93 in benefits.

The occupational group with the highest hourly compensation was management, business and financial professionals at $59.22, $40.79 of which was salary. Primary, secondary and special education teachers were second at $55.17, $38.38 of which was salary. Another grouping of teachers, including those in post secondary education, were third at $54.84, of which $38.82 was salary.

Service workers, with total hourly compensation of $14.21, of which $10.75 was salary, were the least compensated in private industry. A look at how their benefits compare to workers in other sectors show factors leading to the gap. For example, an average of $2 an hour for all workers goes toward vacation, sick time and other paid leave benefits. For service workers, it is 58 cents an hour. Retirement benefits for all workers amount to $1.07 an hour, but only 23 cents for service workers.

Other salary and benefits data the Labor Department released Wednesday include:

Hourly compensation in private industry was highest in the Northeast at $33.50 per hour, with salary accounting for $23.06. It was lowest in the South at $26.51, $19.01 of which was salary. The Midwest came in at $27.89 an hour, $19.39 of which was salary. In the West, total hourly compensation was $30.58, $21.60 of which was salary.

Workers at larger companies tended to have higher compensation than those in small businesses. Employees at companies with fewer than 100 workers had hourly compensation of $23.91, $17.70 of which was salary. Those at companies with 500 or more employees had the highest compensation at $43.15 per hour, $28.29 of which was salary.

Union members tended to make more than nonunion workers. Union members in service-producing industries had average hourly compensation of $39.88, $24.01 of which was salary. Nonunion workers were compensated an average of $27.08, with $19.61 being salary. Union members in goods-producing industries had hourly compensation of $41.72, $24.51 of which was salary. Nonunion workers made an average of $32.94, $22.81 of which was salary.

Now back to the point about landing a government job - good or bad, for that matter -which may not be that easy. State and local government positions have been included in the sectors with the highest job loss in Ohio, and many other states, at least since last year. The low-compensation service jobs have been included among the fastest growing sectors.