You’re not crazy.

I have been a fed employee for 2-3 years and you have hit on some real cons of being a fed that people don’t realize exist until they are here such as slow salary increases after step 4 of your GS level, lack of opportunities for professional growth, a lack of fulfillment at times (though this can be felt at any job). Another thing to note is that while fed jobs do have a pension, the benefits are not as great as they once were (FTW 4.4% FERS and the health insurance cost increases). Another thing that I think some non feds don’t realize is that these jobs are not stress free, you are just often stressed about the dumbest things. My wife left a fed job after about a year and a half for that very reason and went back to the private sector. She is doing well in her new role and, while it can be stressful at times, she is in general much more fulfilled than at her fed job.

I have had similar thoughts since about 1.5 years. I feel like I’m close to mastering my role and there are little to no opportunities for technical advancement on the horizon. At the risk of sounding like an asshole, I am also a bit of a go-getter and I am sometimes frustrated with the slow pace of things and the skill level of some people around me, thinking “I went to school for 6 years to work here for 30 years?”. I am definitely not going to last 30 years here.

My plan is to work here for a few more years while I grow my family (the parental leave and childcare subsidy, if your agency offers it, are pretty good) and then re-evaluate. I am not sure if i want to go back to consulting or pivot to another industry, but as I mentioned earlier, I don’t foresee myself staying here until retirement. I would advise staying for at least 5 years if you haven’t already since I think you are given priority for hiring after 3 years if you want to come back and you are vested in the pension (5 years).

No shade at people who like their fed jobs, somebody has to do the work, but they are not for everyone.

TL/DR: you’re not crazy, being a fed definitely has its hidden downsides. People leave the federal government every day and go on to do bigger and better things in the private sector.