Article Title:   How Much Should a Government Employee Make?  
Snippet of Article:  "...The Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers put average federal wages at $68,740, while private-sector wages averaged out at $42,270. The disparity is still there, in part because the nation's overall work force skews more toward blue-collar jobs than does the federal government. But $68,000 sounds less "lavish" than "respectable...."
Source: www.prospect.org