Public, private sector salaries vary.

Aug. 5--A direct comparison of government vs. private sector jobs in Southwest Florida shows top-tier employees make less than the market, while low-end employees earn more per year.

Compare the salaries of local government employees with similar jobs in the private sector, and you'll find the numbers tell a story of well-compensated support positions and an underpaid top brass.

In both Sarasota and Charlotte counties, low-end positions (with equivalent private-sector jobs available) tend to earn notably more money per year in government jobs.

In Sarasota County government, administrative assistants make anywhere between $32,510 and $60,674, depending on their level of experience, while comparable positions in the private sector range between $31,335 and $36,543, according to figures from Salary.com.

Security guards working for the Charlotte County government make between $24,000 and $26,000 per year. In the private sector, they earn just over $17,000, according to market intelligence data from the Charlotte County Economic Development Office.

The Charlotte County government boosted the pay of its low-end employees in 2003 after a comprehensive …