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Comment by tdhz77 | Hacker News Reader

I work for federal government. And the government subsidies my pay @ $4500 to live in DC. I’m humbled by my opportunity to be in the public service. I’ve turned down valley jobs. US gov is filled with highly qualified people. You just don’t know their twitter.

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DC itself has a pretty bad government COL adjustment because it is the average of an area comprising some much lower COL areas in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. For example, a GS employee who works in Downtown DC where a 1 BR apartment will go for $2500 / month will get paid the exact same amount as his / her peer working in Hampshire, WV. The same apartment there is about $700.

* https://www.federalpay.org/gs/locality

There is local pay adjustment. For Federal Judges or political positions these are set by congress across the board so this is accurate.

They add $4500 per month to live in DC?

You ready to join the force?

Force as in military or combat jobs? Any list that provides jobs or departments that offer this type of subsidy?

Quick Google search brings deferred loan programs. I'm not aware of subsidized housing programs except for stationed military. If this is widely available, it would change the math for many people. 4,500/month stipend pays the mortgage. Friends in other govt departments never had that, is it DC specific?

This is D.C. specific. $4500 is for one year. It’s what I receive under my TDY. (Temp Duty Station Change).

Yearly makes much more sense. At the same time, nowhere near enough to make up for the pay cut. I’m non tech, and my peer who was being recruited for US Digital Service would had to take about a 50k pay cut to sub 100k level.

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