Huge pensions require huge employer contributions, leaving much less take home pay. OP also contributed to SS and Medicare which further reduced take home pay. And then there are the inevitable insurance reductions, etc. It would be rare for an employee in a pension system to get a 401k (or similar) employer match.You have a huge pension
Most people I worked with in a pension covered agency could barely get by with their take home pay, and many had second jobs. Some employees quit because their take home pay couldn't pay the bills even with public assistance. As someone else said, there is no free lunch. Pensions aren't free, and it's difficult to amass a large net worth when one contributes to a pension.
Statistics: Posted by popoki — Sat Nov 22, 2025 11:23 pm — Replies 6 — Views 504