“There are some careers, like engineering, where a degree really is necessary and the government employees make less than their free market peers.”
No. This isn’t true. Engineers in government tend to be less employable in the true private sector. When all benefits are included they will earn the same or more than an average engineer in the private sector - and they tend to be less bright, less capable, and less deserving of ‘average’ compensation. Since you’re generalizing, so am I, granted.
You’re talking in generalities and so am I. I was only using government engineers as an example. I think they legitimately need an engineering degree, and their pay is more closely aligned with their non-government counterparts.
There are many other government jobs that pay far more than their civilian equivalents. The government gets around part of that by saying their jobs require degrees and by inflating the actual job requirements. They then compare that to non-government jobs. What they don’t compare is the actual work that people do.
Of course, this is an education thread. My point was simply that government feeds the higher education beast. Plus, it’s over credentialed, meaning it requires credentials where they aren’t needed. That provides cushy government jobs for people with generally worthless degrees.