7 Amazing Benefits of a Career in Civil Services

Civil service in the US employs over 2.1 million civilian workers in the federal workforce. These employees are responsible for effectively running the country, working in various social, economic, and financial sectors.

The jobs of these civil workers directly improve the living standards, ensure the well-being of the citizens and address a diverse range of issues. From firefighting to FBI, civil service comprises a wide range of organizations and departments.

Getting a job with the civil service isn’t an easy task as the hiring process can take months, and the civil service exams don’t come around very often. For example, the civil service exam in NYS takes place once every four to six years.

However, working in the civil service comes with some amazing benefits, which make a civil service career absolutely worth your time and effort. If you’re interested in working for a civil service department, you’ll probably want to know what’s at stake. So, we’ve prepared this list of benefits you’ll get with a career in civil services!

Steady Income

One of the most important reasons people gravitate towards a job in the civil service is the steady income. Currently, the national average annual salary for a civil servant is $72,343.

Furthermore, the number is even higher for federal employees. According to OPM (Office of Personnel Management), the average salary is $90,510. Moreover, the income is steady, and the government takes the effects of inflation into account to increase your salary whenever required.

Job Security

Some people might argue that you can make more money in the private sector. While that may be true for certain jobs, what you don’t get in private employment is job security. Private companies can go out of business at any time.

On the other hand, civil institutions are stable and can weather economic conditions. You won’t have to worry about getting laid off or going out of business. Job security can help you make huge life decisions, such as buying a house or sending your kids to college, without worrying about getting laid off at any minute.

Variety of Jobs

Civil service offers a variety of jobs which means you can join whether you’re a healthcare professional or a science major. In fact, up to 28% of federal employees belong to STEM fields. The civil service sector offers jobs for everyone, which means you can find a job suited to your expertise.

With the US civil service sector expected to hire 250,000 new employees in the coming few years, you can rest assured that you’ll find plenty of job opportunities suited to your expertise.

Flexible Work Schedules

Although the work culture will differ depending on which institution you join, what you won’t have to worry about is that civil service jobs prioritize work/life balance. You can take advantage of flexible work hours and remote work options.

Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about not getting paid for overtime or night shift differential. In some private-sector jobs, you’re expected to work extra hours without getting paid for it. However, civil service departments take all of that seriously, and you’ll get paid for every hour you work.

Favorable Benefits

One of the huge positives of working in the civil service is that you get benefits that easily exceed those offered by the private sector. Civil service employees have more savings and investments by the time they retire, mainly due to the generous health and retirement plans.

Civil Service Retirement System

Although it’s not covered under Social Security, civil service employees enjoy the same benefits under a separate system called the Civil Service Retirement System. This system covers virtually all permanent civilian jobs and offers the same benefits as social security does.

FEHB Program

The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program allows you to meet the healthcare needs of your family and yourself. Civil service employees can benefit from the widest selection of health plans.

You can choose a High Deductible plan for catastrophic risk protection. You can also pick from other plans, including Consumer-Driven plan, Health Savings, and lower premiums, as well as FFS plans. Explaining all these different plans can take a while but rest assured that you won’t have to worry about your or your family’s healthcare needs.

Flexible Spending Account Program

Flexible spending accounts allow civil service employees to make contributions towards an account that is exempt from Federal income tax, FICA tax, as well as most of the other state and local income taxes.

FSA program lets civil service employees make contributions towards paying for qualified medical expenses that the Federal Employees Health Benefits program won’t reimburse.

Comprehensive Retirement Plan

No one can deny that the private sector can’t beat the civil service sector when it comes to retirement plans. Civil service employees can enjoy as early as 55 and continue to enjoy lifetime retirement benefits. FERS covers all the civil employees with a pension, social security, and a Thrift Savings Plan, which is much like the 401(k) system.

Career Advancement Opportunities

Working in the private sector means that your promotion and growth aren’t entirely dependent on your performance or the years of experience you amass. Private employers can easily deprive you of career growth with numerous tactics.

However, you’ll find abundant career advancement opportunities working in the civil service sector. Promotions are either earned based on hours served or through competitive exams, which means you’ll always be rewarded for your performance and hard work.

Start Your Civil Service Journey with Civil Service Success

At Civil Service Success, we offer preparatory courses to help you prepare for civil service exams, such as the NYS court officer exam or the NYC sanitation worker exam. Keep in mind that these exams come around once every four to six years. Therefore, you should try to ace it on your first try, or you’ll have to wait for years before you can retake the exam.

Register now in our available courses or contact us directly to learn more about how we can help you start your civil service journey!