$100,000 for Tour Guides

In 2008, the Office of the Secretary of State spent over $100,000 on providing tour guides at the State Capitol.  This includes one year-round tour guide, who was paid $39,035.76, and three intermittent tour guides who each made $17.43 per hour and over $25,000 total.  Additionally, the Office Operations Supervisor, who is responsible for overseeing tours, made $61,544.76, in 2008.  According to the U.S Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average private sector tour guide in Illinois made $12.09 per hour.

Why were these public employees paid 44% more than private sector employees?

You can find this information by going to IllinoisOpenGov.org, clicking on payroll and searching for “tour guide,” intermittent tour guide” and “office operations supervisor.”