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Robert Gibbs: Press Secretary Earned about $33.11 an Hour

By Jane Genova , Posted Jan 7th 2011 @ 1:24PM

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White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has annual compensation of $172,2000. Given that the Press Secretary's job requires at the minimum about 100 hours a week, that adds up to about 5,200 hours a year, based on a 52 week year. Most of the rest of you put in about 2,080 hours a year. Given his minimum of 5,200 hours, Gibbs earns, at the most, about $33.11 an hour.

However, after he leaves those long hours in the White House, Gibbs could probably earn as much money as he wants to earn. That's called The Revolving Door Syndrome.

The parameters on any future compensation for someone who departs a high government position will only be constrained by what that professional decides he or she wants to do. Because of his White House experience all doors are open. Gibbs brings a track record of positioning and packaging complex issues under pressure. He knows how to deal with the global media. He understands how government at that level operates. And he has a golden network of contacts whom he has access too.

Suppose Gibbs decides to not take a job but become a consultant in the growing field of reputation management. In that niche area within public relations, you parachute in when an organization has a threat to its brand name, stock price, or ability to influence key constituencies. Pay per hour ranges from $500 to $1,000.

However, Gibbs might prefer to join one of the lobbying firms on K Street in Washington, D.C. Those centers of influence range from Capitol Partners, Inc. to Guiliani Partners (yes, that name should be familiar to you). You can't beat the pay. Lobbyists usually are wealthy.

In addition to the main line of work or day job, there are also other opportunities open for both earning money and becoming even more marketable. For instance, former Clinton administration press secretary Dee Dee Myers published in 2008 her memoir 'Why Women Should Rule the World.' A best seller at the time, it described how females can get and grow power.

Serving the public interest at the top levels has really no limits on your return on that investment.


Jane Genova

Jane Genova

Jane Genova, coach, book author, and lecturer on careers, specializes in transitions. Her talk on professional shifts at the New York State Bar Association has been published in VITAL SPEECHES OF THE DAY. Her latest book is OVER-50: HOW WE KEEP WORKING. She blogs on the subject at http://janegenova.com, http://lawandmore.typepad.com, http://careertransitions.typepad.com and http://over-50.typepad.com.

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Dan

Gibbs was definitely overpaid! Although, at one point I felt sorry for him, having to repeat all those lies coming out of Obama's mouth. Then, they said he was leaving to work on Obama's campaign. As far as I'm concerned he's just as ignorant and nieve as Obama or just as crooked!

January 08 2011 at 3:11 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
heuermannk

Regardless of political views, the calculation in the article is wrong. Considering that law says hours above 40 are paid at 1.5 x base, at 100 hours a week, dude was making $25 an hour and at 120 hours (more likely) about $20 an hour. On-call 24/7/365 to boot. I won't pay $5 to hear him speak, but if others will he's earned a right to try and cash.

January 08 2011 at 2:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Hi Todd

Michelle is a chimp!

January 08 2011 at 1:56 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Hi Todd

Gibbs is a liberal who bought into the Obama mess, black ball him and his kind who propegate this crap!

January 08 2011 at 1:53 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Peggy

Let's do the math. Say he worked 100 hours per week. Since there is only 168 hours in a seven day period that leaves him 68 hours a week to sleep, eat, bathe, travel to and from work, etc. Break it down more and that is 9.7 hours a day to do all of the personal things and commute. yeppers Mr. President we really do believe every lie that comes out of your mouth.

January 08 2011 at 1:53 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Rachelvis

William - you say I support the president when he says the man was underpaid. That is alot of hours in a key position for $31 per hour. Well, as a veteran speaking for soldiers in Iraq, they all are in Key Positions and work more hours than that man Gibbs could ever imagine and talk about underpaid, do you realize what a soldier in combat or a soldier in any field of work makes per hr????? its pathetic, talk about underpaid, our soldiers would love to have the money this man makes, and you state alot of hours in a key position, well william if defending our country with your life isn't a key position, I don't know what is and the military has these men and women working 24/7, so I don't care to hear the president talk about all the working hours this one man puts in, Gibbs should try working one day with a soldier, bet he would not be working any overtime, you'd see him running for the door to go home and try to get some sleep & eat& shower. thats if you've got enough time before you have to be at roll call the next day.

January 08 2011 at 1:02 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
suziesark

Let's see $33.11 an hour - compared to $ .24 and hour, 24 hrs a day/7 days a week/365 days a yr. Yep, that's what the active duty Air Force make an hour!!! This is for a person with over 12yrs active duty service with dependants. Now, why is this rude, poor excuse for a press sec. making so much an hour??!! His job CAN NOT be more important than those who are protecting EVERYONE'S freedoms!!! Or at lease while we still have our freedoms, that is until socialist obama kills this county. God help us with obama in charge.

January 08 2011 at 12:19 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
bob

heres news for everybody if any of you are in the military you are bound by the UCMJ an can not openly denouce or back talk the commander n chief for it's a court marchal offense by enlisting in any branch of our military you give up some of the very rights you signed on to to defend question why is it any of our business how much money this guy makes he's left the white house an is going into private practice me personally if anybody was to attack that person in the black house( formly called the white house)I'd might do what old spiderman did I'd might hold open the elevator so he could excape not my problem I know nothing see nothing hear nothing just let me know if he comes near my area so I can get the hell away don't want to be any where near him

January 08 2011 at 12:15 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
BraceWinslow

hey,andrewtylerscheffield, who would want to lay with Michelle? And he is more important and admired? Au contraire, Amigo. The majority of Anericans do not admire him. See the polls..!

January 08 2011 at 12:13 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
capwhan

Plenty of people would love to make 33 bucks an hour.

January 07 2011 at 11:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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