From $10.24 p/h to $235k p/a, CS salary scale revealed
(CNS): The government has gazetted the salary scales for 2021, which show how much core government workers are earning. The lowest pay for hourly workers is CI$10.24 per hour, which, depending on the hours worked, can be even less than trainees on the first rung of the salary ladder, who earn CI$1,700 per month. Meanwhile, those at the top of the pile can earn as much as CI$234,900 per year (which works out to be $19,575 per month).
Despite the massive disparity between those emptying our bins and those running ministries, the minimum wage in government is still markedly higher than the minimum hourly wage of $6 in the private sector. This has not changed since it was implemented almost five years ago in 2016, even though Cayman is going through a period of significant inflation.
Many government workers are on low pay, with more than 10% on hourly wages. But unlike private sector workers, they had the benefit of cost of living allowances as well as the increments in their salaries this year.
While a few dozen civil servants, such as judges and some chief officers, are earning as much $200,000 per year, the average annual salary is just under $50,000. However, the majority of government workers in 2018 were earning less than CI$4,000 per month, according to official annual report on the civil service demographics.
See the 2021 civil service salary scale in the CNS Library.
Category: Government Administration, Politics
Has anyone noticed that only persons earning in Bands A-C were given a salary increase?
So what has happened to the other Civil Servants from Band D downwards?
Is this why, there was no e-mail to Civil Servants, as is customary when there is a salary increase? Not even an article in The Hub…..the Civil Servants’ internal noticeboard.
After all that praise the DG was ranting and railing about and praising Civil Servants for their hard work.
All that hard work is not worth 1 cent?
Wow, I expected better from him.
The employees doing the frontline facing danger every day, and doing the brunt of the Gov’t workload gets zilch.
While those sitting in offices, or meetings get an extra $10,000?
I thought the Finance Minister said the budget is expected to be in deficit…so how can they afford to increase the top tranche of salaries by so much.
Leave ALL salaries at the same 2018 amounts and put that extra cash that was planned for their pockets to keep the country out of debt!
Seriously, in this financial crisis and pandemic, they want more cash in their already bloated bank accounts?
What about all those workers in dire need, because their employers is out of business or we have no tourism industry.
Don’t they deserve to have their mortgage, utilities, insurance and families have a decent healthy meal to eat?
Are our people’s dire need not valued more than your monetary greed?
I am truly disappointed by this Government! Vote them out Cayman.
Those Cayman Airways pilots also make on the high end while the rest of the company make garbage! 6000-11000 a month to go Miami and evade custom duty’!
Those pilots have the extensive training and hours of experience required to operate a jetliner. Let’s also not forget that the lives of all onboard are in their hands. They deserve their pay regardless of the flight being one hour each way. Your ignorant comment shows how hateful you are and how little you know about aviation. Maybe you should try to better your skills to make better pay?
As a civil servant offhand there is no change over the last 2 years in my salary even though we were told at a meeting 2 years ago that our salaries were behind the cost of living by about 6 years. Election time again. We usually get a cost of living increase and then have it taken away in less than a year đŸ™„
Cost of Living increase was given January 2020
Twelve years ago, when I worked for the CI government, a group of three government employees came into the room I was in where a meeting was taking place.
They apologised for interrupting things and then proceeded to count the light bulbs.
One counted and one wrote down notes. I couldn’t be sure what the job of the third one was but I did notice that he opened the door when they all left.
Praying for Anon. May he return to the real world where we give thanks to others, appreciate hard work and sacrifice and treat others as you would want to be treated.
Living in a negative world every day can’t be good.
According to this scale, when you add the 60k executive allowance, the current Premier and the next Premier will be earning CI$294,900 this year. I am not including the further 60k constituency allowance but this too is probably paid straight into the Premier’s bank account with no receipts required. Per previous protocol (unless this has changed) the Governor has to earn even more. This puts Cayman up with the largest countries in the world for salaries paid to the Head of State’s representative and Head of Government. Note also that every time Parliament gives a cost-of-living increase to civil servants, MPs own salaries also go up. You cannot blame people for trying to make a career of politics and frankly I think the compensation is now high enough that better Caymanians would be stepping forward to run if only they knew what they could earn.
Incredible! Someone should spend the time and do the research of what the Mayor of a 60k population makes in, say, Canada or the USA. You would be SHOCKED, as it is nowhere even close to that amount, not even in the same stratosphere. Probably because they all pay tax and are extra observant as to where and to whom that money goes. Food for thought……..
5:26 look at the mess those small town’s are in.
Has nothing to do with the pay scale now is it?
11:55. While the majority of your post is inaccurate. You did stumble on a key point.
If we want the few Good members of the private sector to run for elected office we have to offer them an attractive salary.
The calibre of persons we need to continue to run this sophisticated Government are making hundreds of thousands in the private sector and require fair compensation for giving up their lucrative jobs.
Seriously folks if you feel inclined to vote for someone who isn’t working or can’t keep a job then you are part of the problem.
I didn’t stumble on a good point, I made one. Since you must have inside information please tell me what was inaccurate and what the correct position is. Thanks.
You left out the unfunded pension liabilities…
These pay scale documents have been published openly for many years. They could be found on the web very easily.
We know. What is your point?
Wondering if you could share the salary scales?
CNS: The link is at the bottom of the article. We always share the source material if possible by putting it in the CNS Library so that people can find it again later.
While we sit back and call civil servants incompetent. Ask yourself this question where would you be today if the civil service didn’t keep us safe during the past 10 months?
We have opened our borders since September and no one in the community had gotten sick. No country in the world can make such a claim. Yet we complain.
This is a world class performance by our civil servants. Give them a huge bonus. I would if they worked for me in the private sector.
Imagine what Cayman would be like today if we had to shut down longer than we did.
Hasn’t anyone noticed that crime is down and the civil civil service is receiving awards for immaculate accounts.
If you think there is no accountability in the civil service ANON visit the civil service appeals commission website.
You all seem to be stuck in the 1990’s when we complain of our civil service.
Angus, what really kept us safe was that our Covid in over 99% of cases was asymptomatic. As for a bonus you all got paid your full salaries whether you worked or not and kept your pensions, whilst half the working population lost their jobs and had to withdraw large amounts of their pension. As for the shutdown, it certainly does not apply to the Civil Service and never did, but it still applies to our tourist industry and thousands connected with it, have you not noticed?.Crime is down because of Covid, and only in Cayman could you give yourselves plaudits for doing your job and finally producing accounts after years of abject failure.As for accountability how many of you have lost your jobs for incompetence or any other valid reason in the last 40 years?.
We are not stuck in the 1990’s, we are stuck in the 2020’s with the world’s most expensive civil service which is anything but world class.
Mcpherson! I feel for you. Denial is a horrible thing.
Trust me you would be blaming the Government and the civil service if COVID-19 was rampant in our community.
So why not give them the credit now.
I know its hard to admit that the civil service is now out performing the private sector. But that is actually a good thing.
These salaries at the top are really low.
Most the CEO’s of the Statutory Authorities make more than Chief Officers and some are paid more than the top of the A band.
Thankfully the Public Authorities Law will put an end to run away salaries in the Statutory Authorities.
The most runaway salary of all the statutory authorities is the one paid to Mr Archer, the former government minister, at the Stock Exchange. But wait, maybe it’s not quite as much as the one plus benefits paid to the head of the Monetary Authority.
Let’s pray for Anon he needs some positivity and reality in his life.
Is it possible to get a list of the various Civil Servant job posts with their payscale? I think this information would be helpful to the public than just a bunch of dollar signs running across a page.
What’s the average cost per resident to run this government?
2:44 are you okay?
2.44am No good asking a civil servant such a calculation is way beyond their world class ability.
Anon seriously are you okay?
May I suggest a mental health break off island.
Oh wait there is no where on earth safer than the Cayman Islands right now. Thanks in a large part to CIG and our amazing civil servants.
You may want to sit down first.
Far less than the pain of reading your asinine comments
Factor in complete lack of accountability and jobs for life , not to mention not having to pay 1 cent for medical treatment,these salaries are world class, but the recipeients anything but.
Anon. We are worried about you. You same to be stuck in the dark ages.
You left out the unfunded pension liabilities…
And Saunders is on Marl Road campaigning on reducing working hours for Civil Servants while the private sector is paying $6/hour. Where did the Opposition get that genius from ?
Well he is on CMR reaching out to her audience who are not the brightest and are the most gullible of our society hoping that they’ll believe the nonsense he’s spewing out. Anyone using her to get their message out is should not be trusted to hold public office.
I wish to commended the Government for its transparency.
Gone are the days when these documents were hidden away.
We complain about the MP’s allowances etc. But at least they published the information.
This is a welcomed development.
I must say these salaries seem fair to me.
Think of a chief Officer who is responsible for a $50 million dollar budget and 1000 staff. In the private sector someone with that responsibility would be paid $250k per annum.
Looks like we are getting a good deal from the Government.
7:51. Very good point. Without government transparency what we would have nothing to talk about.
Crime is down, The island has no community transmission,our garbage is collected on time, mosquitoes are gone, government accounts are unqualified, i just paid my planning fees at my local post office and licensed my car online.
And yet we complain.
7.51pm How many private sector executives are responsible for 1,000 staff?,this is common in the Civil Service which has more employees per head of the population than any other country.Salary and promotion depend on the number of subordinates which is why we have myriads of these people.
Anon …you are so out of touch.
One Ministry in Government has 1000 staff and that is the Ministry of Education.
You proved 7:51 point. If no one in the private sector is responsible for 1,000 staff then why do they get paid 5 times what a civil servant CEO with 1,000 staff is paid.
Let’s Pray for Anon. Can you imagine being negative and critical all day.
11.49am If you were capable of adding up the salaries and benefits of all our thousands of civil servants including the cost of free medical treatment covering all dependents, you would see where most of Government’s revenue goes, and why it has to borrow.
You do not need to pray for me, rather thank me for bringing you into the real world.
Anon. Borrow seriously!
The government stop borrowing 8 years ago.
They got a line of credit because of COVID-19 shut down.
Seriously Anon. Get a mental health break.
I don’t think we do but why on earth would we have any department with 1,000 people?
BTW quick math says that would be an average payroll cost of $50k ignoring all other costs. But I digress…
In most places there is a trade-off between the job security and benefits of a public sector job and private sector. That is salaries are lower as the benefits and security are much higher, particularly after you retire. So you shouldn’t compare the two in terms of wages.
10:53
You mean like the Ministry of Education, Youth Sports Lands and Agriculture?
This article is factually wrong.
Judges are not on the civil service salary scale.
Chief Officers are on the C scale and will not make anywhere near $200k.
The fact that the top salary is just over $200k is a shame compared to private sector pay.
If we want to recruit and retain top talent in the civil service we have to pay them a top wage.
I wish I could make 1400 a month.
An irregular Cost of Living award to help against inflation, does not equate to an annual bonus in most of the private sector.
The annual cost of living adjustments to all civil servants’ pensions is NOT irregular and does not apply to almost all pensions in the private sector.
It must be for pensioners which is quite reasonable, so that those on a fixed income do not fall into poverty. After some years a cost of living adjustment of a paltry amount was finally given to CS workers but then taken back the next year, so the COLA is irregular for salaries. Salaries and Pensions are two separate things.
12.17pm Why should civil servants get Cola’s on their pensions when the private sector does not?
They deserve the compensation afterall 100% failure is not easy to achieve.
They can’t even achieve that!
I know! They keep having occasional successes! At best it is an 80% failure rate!
19:54 stop talking about the private sector like that.