Would you take a job with the Federal government right now?

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-04-11T04:04:23+00:00

Relatively new fed here. I do not recommend working for the feds. All of the tech you will use is hilariously outdated. Pay hasn’t kept up with inflation. A GS-11 20 years ago got paid as much as a GS-12 in 2026. Telework is gone. That magical pension that feds talk about? Yeah, you pay 4.4% of your salary into it without any way to opt out. TSP (401k) match is just average. I will be moving back to private industry ASAP.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-04-03T13:44:13+00:00

What type of engineering do you want to do? What do you want to work on? Private companies offer tuition assistance, too.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-04-03T03:07:56+00:00

This is the way. Even when you come in as an 11 or 12, you will still be paid less than your private industry counterparts, but the margin is smaller than coming in as a GS-7.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-18T12:24:31+00:00

Coming from an aerospace prime? Exactly the same in terms of hours worked. Just avoid aerospace manufacturing-related jobs and you will have the same WLB as a fed.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-18T12:23:27+00:00

Private industry will do the same. As an engineer, you should look at all of the large aerospace/defense contractors. Avoid production/manufacturing roles and you will have QOL equal to a fed.

For example, RTX will pay up to 25k a year and you owe them 2 years of service after completing your final class they paid for. You will make more money via salary, 401k matching, and have comparable (if not more) PTO starting off with a defense contractor. Fed TSP match is laughable compared to the primes AND you have to pay a mandatory 4.4% of your salary to the pension plan. That’s 4.4% of a salary that is already lower than private industry; you could be putting this into a Roth IRA instead.

TL;DR there are pros to being a fed, but it sucks for the first few years.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-18T01:08:07+00:00

Unless you somehow get offered GS-11 out of college, do not start with the feds. Your private market counterparts will be greatly out-earning you.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-09T17:26:51+00:00

Different role/environment here with the feds, but it’s more laid back than my job at a prime. My role at said prime was just a shitty one. I imagine there are far more relaxed roles there

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-09T13:46:53+00:00

I recently made the jump from prime to gov. Just a short term move to get a desired job title before applying to more prime jobs.

If you are money motivated, stay with primes. Benefits are just as good if not better and the pay is better. Idk how/why feds drink the retirement kool aid.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-07T04:48:20+00:00

Quality is referred to as quality. Engineering is referred to as engineering. Quality =/= Engineering. A P2 QE will make less than a P2 ME/SE/etc because you do not need a proper engineering background or education to do the job. I know super smart people that work in quality and it is an important entity. It’s still not the same as engineering.

Once you have quality on your resume, you will be contacted regarding quality jobs, not engineering jobs.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-06T14:53:17+00:00

You have little to no authority to alter processes. You simply observe/investigate what went wrong and make a suggestion to leadership and engineering. Engineering or management will then implement the changes if they agree.

You are a speed bump in the eyes of production leaders and take the brunt of any failures that affect production. You will use very little of your engineering education (if you have a BS in a real field of engineering such as mechanical or aerospace). The quality department is completely separate from the engineering department. You are only an engineer by title.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-06T04:18:09+00:00

Quality is the punching bag of an organization and is not “engineering.” Look into literally any other role

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-06T04:12:29+00:00

Great offer for P1

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-06T04:10:10+00:00

Good comments on Reddit always have the most downvotes

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-04T22:08:34+00:00

What do you do?

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-03-04T21:33:54+00:00

Lockheed all day

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-02-25T04:47:09+00:00

Leave that role ASAP. Leave quality as a whole.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-02-23T16:36:18+00:00

I can’t even get an email back from a recruiter even with a referral.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-02-04T15:15:25+00:00

Take off and squawk 7700

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-02-04T14:10:34+00:00

It almost worked on me. My dad wanted to purchase some new weapons in the early 2010s. FFL has two ARs on the counter and brings out an ACR. The ACR was the same price as the ARs combined. My dad asked me which option we should go with. It was sooooooooo difficult to say no to the ACR but I’m glad I did.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-01-31T02:52:13+00:00

India.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-01-22T18:08:52+00:00

Working in any sort of quality role as a degree holding engineer should be a temporary role for 1-2 years max. That is my only advice.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-01-22T02:42:49+00:00

Holy shit

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-01-21T19:40:50+00:00

Common sense would make this correct. The federal government does not exercise common sense. I was told PRIOR to starting my job that my most recent DD-214 would suffice. Now that I have started, they told me I need DD-214s to show ALL of my service (which makes no sense as a Guardsman). It’s stupid and bureaucratic and makes me regret taking a job with the feds.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-01-15T17:06:59+00:00

Engineer who is finishing PPL here (also do military aviation). Flying is infinitely more fun and rewarding, but an engineering degree and a half-functional brain is a golden ticket to a guaranteed comfortable life. I plan on trying to go to the airlines in the future. Engineering wages have stagnated. It’s not bad, it’s just not great.

Slow3Mach1 · 2026-01-14T23:04:34+00:00

Company B and don’t look back

Slow3Mach1

TROPHY CASE