At least six recent studies that account for workers' benefits, education, experience, and skills have found that federal employees enjoy a significant advantage in compensation over comparable private-sector workers. These studies have limitations and none are an end-all, but the combined weight of them and other surrounding facts leave little doubt that most federal employees are paid better than their private-sector counterparts. This, however, is not true for workers with doctorate degrees, who are better compensated in the private sector. In 2018, federal, state and local governments spent $2.01 trillion on employee compensation. This amounts to an average of $15,771 from every household in the United States.