Find Out How Much Each Regional Va Emploee Made Plus Bonuses!

[georgiapapa]

Take a lookie in the state you reside and go to it!!

http://www.openthebooks.com/

Google "2015 GS payscale" and you will see the information on the Open the Books website is BS. Even if they added benefits with salaries, the figures would still be exaggerated. I would guess that most of the employees working for the VA regional offices range from GS 5 to GS 12 and the supervisors are GS 13s and high echelon managers at the GS 14 and GS 15 level.

I worked for the federal government for over 25 years and I am familiar with the the pay systems used by federal agencies. There is additional locality pay added for employees in cities with high cost of living but this additional pay would not add anywhere near what is shown on the Open the Books website. There are also special payscales for certain professions such as doctors. I seriously doubt you will find many doctors, if any, working for the federal government making what is shown n the Open the Books website.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not a defender of VA salaries. I think a lot of the employees at the VA are overpaid for what they are doing but if I am going to criticize the VA, I do not want my criticism to be based on something I know is total BS. JMO

GP

[georgiapapa]

Also, Google the salaries for U.S. Senators and U.S. Congressmen. Do you really think senators and congressmen are going to let VA employees or any other federal employees make twice what they make? Open the Books website is BS. JMO

GP

[Detel]

Do we bump or second what someone says when we agree? Either way, georgiapapa is correct. My significant other and I were looking through that list last night. We both agreed that some of the salaries listed on there are outside the realm of possibility for a GS employee no matter for which agency they work within the federal government. Also as a side note, I am not defending the VA. I have no reason to defend them, as I am fighting the, hopefully one day, winning battle myself. Having spent a considerable amount of time in the government, one of the realities I came to realize is that often the very top of any organization/unit/agency is absolutely clueless to the inner workings of their group. Everything is so filtered by the time information gets to them (if it even eventually does). The real culprits, imho, are the middle men/women. Regardless of their reasoning or motive, they are the ones behind the everyday calls and recommendations. Again, these are just my thoughts on the topic.

V/r

Detel

[broncovet]

Well, I really dont know, but I have a tendency to believe "open the books" and here is why?

Gee..are they really gonna fake thousand and thousands and thousands of salaries? Why? For what purpose?

I looked on my state's VA salaries. I noticed several of the doctors I have had, or knew of on this list. One doc, in particular, I know well. She was a very good doc, very good and thorough, and I happen to know she has been promoted and supervises all or nearly all VA docs at my VAMC. Her name was on the list, showing she earned about 250k. Do you really think a doctor, good and eperienced enough to supervise other docs is gonna work for 75 grand? My wife is a nurse and she knows docs in our area, and how much they make. If they are a private doc, a specialist, and have a few years of experience with one or more board certifications they pretty much make at least 500k. Many are well over a million.

The VA has special bonuses to attract and keep MD's, and especially specialist MD's. So her salary of 250k seems "about reasonable" or even low, for a MD and doctor supervisor. These docs usually have 6 figure student loans to get to be a doc..sometimes 10 years of education. Do you think docs spend a half million and 10 years of their life educating themselves to earn 75 grand? or even 100k or even 150k? Those student loans have to be paid back, and when they are, if paid by the employer, that is part of their compensation. I know a doc who pays more than 50k in student loans per year. The top salaries are likely docs/supervisors, not VA employee GS 10's or even GS 12's. Docs are a entirely different pay scale or they would not have any docs!

Docs will accept much less at the VA rather than private practice, for several reasons:

1. They go home at 5pm, mostly, and they are done. If someone needs a doc, they can call the doc who is working that shift. Docs like the 9-5 and no after hours calls. If Vets get sick after hours, the VA ER doc does what he can, and often the Vet suffers..or sometimes dies. When that happens the VA says, "whoopee..there is one less comp check we have to pay".

2. VA docs pay no malpractice insurance. That is a very, very big deal. Malpractice insurance can be 100,000 per year in high risk things like OB.

3. The VA docs get great benefits, can move to a different VA if they move, and a lot of special bonuses. My son is marrying a military doc and she told us some of them.

Edited April 24, 2015 by broncovet

[Buck52]

I don't really care what they make all I am concerned with is how much I get to pay my bills & feed my family and try to get by the best I can,

I knew most of'em the VA Employee's made in the 6 figures..it don't surprise me.

............Buck

[georgiapapa]

Well, I really dont know, but I have a tendency to believe "open the books" and here is why?

Gee..are they really gonna fake thousand and thousands and thousands of salaries? Why? For what purpose?

I looked on my state's VA salaries. I noticed several of the doctors I have had, or knew of on this list. One doc, in particular, I know well. She was a very good doc, very good and thorough, and I happen to know she has been promoted and supervises all or nearly all VA docs at my VAMC. Her name was on the list, showing she earned about 250k. Do you really think a doctor, good and eperienced enough to supervise other docs is gonna work for 75 grand? My wife is a nurse and she knows docs in our area, and how much they make. If they are a private doc, a specialist, and have a few years of experience with one or more board certifications they pretty much make at least 500k. Many are well over a million.

The VA has special bonuses to attract and keep MD's, and especially specialist MD's. So her salary of 250k seems "about reasonable" or even low, for a MD and doctor supervisor. These docs usually have 6 figure student loans to get to be a doc..sometimes 10 years of education. Do you think docs spend a half million and 10 years of their life educating themselves to earn 75 grand? or even 100k or even 150k? Those student loans have to be paid back, and when they are, if paid by the employer, that is part of their compensation. I know a doc who pays more than 50k in student loans per year. The top salaries are likely docs/supervisors, not VA employee GS 10's or even GS 12's. Docs are a entirely different pay scale or they would not have any docs!

Docs will accept much less at the VA rather than private practice, for several reasons:

1. They go home at 5pm, mostly, and they are done. If someone needs a doc, they can call the doc who is working that shift. Docs like the 9-5 and no after hours calls. If Vets get sick after hours, the VA ER doc does what he can, and often the Vet suffers..or sometimes dies. When that happens the VA says, "whoopee..there is one less comp check we have to pay".

2. VA docs pay no malpractice insurance. That is a very, very big deal. Malpractice insurance can be 100,000 per year in high risk things like OB.

3. The VA docs get great benefits, can move to a different VA if they move, and a lot of special bonuses. My son is marrying a military doc and she told us some of them.

broncovet,

You and I agree on the pay for doctors. I stated in my post that there is a pay scale for certain professions such as doctors. If you google the names on the VA lists for several pages, they are all doctors. Some are actually VA employees and some are private doctors who also treat patients at the VAMC. My oldest son is an opthalmologist specializing in retina surgery. He is a private doctor but has performed surgery a few times on VA patients at the request of the VA. There is a serious shortage of doctors at the VAMCs, especially medical specialists. The VA has increased salaries for doctors and is giving sign on bonuses for new doctors.

At first glance on the Open the Books website, some could get the wrong impression thinking regular VA employees are making over $300,000. per year. In fact, OPM states that only 1.6% of federal employees make over $200,000. per year and most of these are doctors. I would be surprised if VA Secretary McDonald makes over $300,000. Per year.

In fairness, I may be totally wrong about the info on Open the Books website being BS. I tried to keep going down the lists beyond all the doctors and then a page popped up wanting me to sign up for an account. If I am wrong it will not be the first time nor the last time.

GP