So much this. Pay and working conditions are such a joke for so many government jobs compared to the private sector. Government workers make nothing compared to the private sector, we expect them to be miracle workers, we refuse to acknowledge them when they do work miracles, and then we get mad and want to slash the budget when they can't.

It really sucks because I'd happily work for slightly under market rate to do work for a government office, but I just can't work for 1/3-1/2 of the pay I make working in the private sector, not with housing prices the way they are.

Federal govt IT is basically competitive on salary but the hiring process is rigged. The job descriptions are tightly bound to specific experience that only other govt workers or contractors could know and understand.

Where can I make 150-200k/year in federal IT?

Last I checked $140k is about the going rate for government contractor software engineering work in the DC/Northern Virginia area. Add $10-20k for a Secret clearance or Public Trust and $30-50k for a Top Secret clearance (though you'll probably have to deal with working in a SCIF at least some of the time with a clearance). I'm pretty sure you can push that latter number even higher if you get a TS/SCI and start doing spooky stuff.

But that's not w2

It was two years ago (and according to my friends in the industry it still is).

Working on a w2 for a private company that contracts with the government is a world of difference from working on a w2 for the government.

What’s w2?

"w2" refers to tax form W-2 [0], which is a form given to direct hire employees during tax filing season.

It contrasts to form 1099 [1] which are given to independent contractors.

[0] https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-2

[1] https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1099-misc