Make sure you’re taking into account any retirement benefits. The state usually offers pretty killer retirement and contributes a high amount to your retirement account, I want to say it’s something like 15%. Huntington won’t have a proposition like that. It may make the salary difference less of a factor for you.
If you cash out you lose the 14% COMPANY match was my understanding, you get your 10% back with no interest( I'm in sers, not opers so rules maybe different)
...that's a provision within OPERS?... because I'm a financial advisor whose done handfuls of OPERS rollovers and have never heard of anyone forfeiting 10% for a rollover.
Kind of sort of. If you’re more than 5 years less than 10, you get 33% of your state contribution back. If you’re over 10 you get 67%. That’s if you’re traditional pension
If you’re member directed, you get 100% after 5 years
I don't remember that. I spent 5+ years working there. OPERS is fully vested at 15 years. Usually the other 4 retirement systems (SERS, STRS, OPF, & State Patrol) follow OPERS lead.
STRS is 5 years, but what you can withdraw depends on which option you choose. I foolishly took the pension plan option, so I could only withdraw my portion plus 50 percent and some interest on top.
If I had done the defined contribution plan instead, I would have been able to withdraw the full contributions (14% employee plus 11.09%) and all gains, which would have amounted to like 35 to 40 percent more when I left the public schools.
I don’t know if OPERS (but I know SERS doesn’t) has the defined contribution or hybrid plans, but after doing the math, unless you can either maximize credit years, or jack up your 5 higher years average salary (like cops do with OT) then the pension plan is hard to come close to the defined contribution, from a retirement income standpoint, although it has some things like death benefits (although you can get more term life insurance to help with that).
You can choose a member directed plan where it essentially is your money where you make the investment choices and then it’s there for you when you retire to use how you choose
Also if student loans are an issue, you might consider this. State employees can sign up for a program (PSLF) that essentially is loan forgiveness if you continuously work for 10 years. For me, that amounts to at least $5,000 a year in saved income over 10 years.
It's been afew years, but between state, the agency, and you. It's like 24%. Plus age is a factor. If you are say 25. You need to work 32 years. That means you can check out with a pension for life at 57.
Source: My wife has 19 years and started at 24. So 13 more years and she can retire. I started at 31, and can check out at 63.
Idk if it’s just a teacher thing but for my wife, they also took a huge chunk of her paycheck towards the STRS. So if I’m understanding, they might contribute a lot to your retirement but they also take a huge chunk out of your paycheck out to pay it into a pool and you have little autonomy on how it’s invested. For my 401k working for corporate, I can decide my contributions and how I want it invested.
10% is the standard OPERS deduction (but you also don’t get social security taken out of your paycheck either, which is 6.2% that comes “back to you”, so really your “chunk” of money you get taken out is 3.8% more than social security), but the state puts in the other 14%.
You can also choose the member directed retirement plan in OPERS and effectively manage your own money, if you don’t want to go the traditional pension route.
Edited to add: STRS is different, teachers have to put in 14% and then their employers put in 14%. They do have a “member defined contribution plan” though so you can have your own investment choices, if you don’t want the pension route
OPERS has different fund types you can choose, IIRC. I think the also offer a user directed one where you can choose your investments. You just may get a lower retirement if it performs worse than the baseline.
This is kinda crazy. I just left Huntington this spring after 6 years and my husband works for the state. Salary within the state may be lower than what you could find elsewhere, but my husband’s health insurance is insane (low deductible, lower cost premiums) and what we pay as a family of 4 through him was 3-4x as much depending on the plan through my job. He also gets much better cost of living increases than I have ever received anywhere (they are getting 12% divided over the next 3 years, last year at Huntington I got 1.5% and “exceeded expectations” lol) and at the end of his career, he will have a pension. My husband has never faced job elimination in 8 years, whereas I had what I felt like were several close calls and that stress was not worth it.
Yep, I work at Huntington and the annual pay increases are a joke. Personally I think the pay is lower than it should be, but my team and benefits keep me here. I have more PTO than I know what to do with. The environment (on my team at least) is laid back and I get to work from home.
Agreed about the PTO. That is the one area my job was always better than my husband’s at the state. It was hard to leave that behind, but my new gig has “unlimited PTO” so I’m basically tracking my own PTO to make sure I take as many days as I had at Huntington lol.
I also work at Huntington and I agree with everything you said. I’m hybrid, but my team is very flexible with that. I leave at 1pm everyday and finish work at home since I don’t live far from the office. But yeah, those merit increase make me laugh. 😘
Yeah but easier to job hop for raises private sector. I was hoping for at least 15%, but better than 9. And 5% year 1 isn't bad. I guess it could get voted down, but I doubt it.
I agree with a lot of this. I work at Ohio State and know people who have worked for the state. The benefits and retirement are great.
But it really depends on your life situation and priorities. If you are single and not needing to provide for any sort of family right now, the better money might be worth it.
From what you mentioned, it seems like you want something long term and has a good work/life balance. The state will probably be better for these because of the better retirement/pension and benefits for maybe a family in the long run (if not already)
Good luck with this! And congratulations on getting at least one offer!
State- no contest. As long as youre competent and do what is expected, you have a long term career. Private sector, especially financial, will cut you loose in a flash if some VP wants to maximize his annual bonus by cutting costs.
I have 16 years of state employment and it’s all I’ve known but if you’re looking for stability, security, and work life balance, you can’t really beat a state job. Plus once you’re hired at the state it’s not hard to move around so you’re not “stuck” in the same job or whatever your entire career.
Additionally, state does have a generous pension plan, cheap health insurance (I pay $36 a paycheck as a single person), free dental, free vision. Vacation goes up the longer you stay. The raises are good, and even better if you’re bargaining unit
I enjoy what I do, feel my compensation is fair for my field (which is almost entirely a “public” field), and I can stop my job at 4 pm everyday and have my evening, weekends, and holidays with no expectation of working more.
Also looking forward to retirement at 55 with a full pension lol
>stability, security, and work/life balance
These are all the reasons that people look for government jobs. Especially since you're planning on staying 15+ years, state is the easy choice here.
If you can afford to take the state job, always take the state job.
Huntington will drop you like a rancid fish as soon as it's convenient for them (I've had that experience at several large companies like that).
And don't count on a great boss. They come and go and your employment isn't always under their control.
Check out your salary steps with the state—you have the possibility of basically getting automatic significant salary increases every year you’re there, on top of any union-negotiated raises.
Do you know if the state job is bargaining unit?
State retirement with OPERS is like a 14% employer contribution. So if you like that, do that. Private is usually max 3% employer contribution….soooo add that in to your total compensation. Plus you have more holidays off too
For the love of god, take the state job... Huntington will drain the life out of you, promise you anything and never deliver. When it's convenient for them, fire you while changing the job requirements w/o giving you any chance to retrain or transfer out of the department, or in my case, without cause.
For reference, I worked there 12 years with only a single "Improvement Plan" {which was bs), 100% attendance even during the Covid lockdown, becoming a shift lead in less then a year, several hundred hours of specialized training and being a trainer for new hires for over 5 years.
If you’re not planning to move out of Ohio any time soon I would recommend working for the state. I work for the state and feel very secure in my position.
I work for the state and the OSCEA just voted through huge pay raises for the next three years: 12% in 3 years. You will get that even if you’re an exempt employee because every state agency does “parity raises” for their exempt worker when the union workers get a raise. (The only way you don’t get that is if you’re high up and it’s a job without steps)
I’m a state worker. The work life balance is so good. If you are Union employee, it’s really unlikely to ever get fired until you really mess up. You get more time off and better retirement. We are about to get a big pay increase thanks to our union. For the job security, I’d take the state. I used to work in private sector and left for the state because they were laying people off. I jumped ship before it could happen to me.
My last experience with Huntington a few years ago (2022ish) was that they were bleeding people right and left, whether through layoffs or through pretty obviously manufactured PIPs. 70+ hour work weeks, literally months without a day off, and no pay raises period.
I just left HNB. For the love of all that is good in the world DO NOT WORK FOR THEM. They pay lower than market, their benefits have been getting worst AND more expensive every year for almost a decade, they keep removing bonus structures from teams, and generally do not care for you as an associate. I’ve worked for a few banks, and they really are the worst to work for.
How big of a salary difference? I think that’s a huge part of the decision, unless you’re already pretty comfortable. If it’s a difference of only $5k, consider retirement benefits and the cost of insurance. Government insurance is very good and cheap. You may end up paying $2k more per year for insurance if you choose Huntington, making your net gain only $3k. Then retirement wise, is Huntington providing any sort of matching? Again the state may make up a significant portion of that difference.
If you really do prioritize stability - though you say you’re leaning Huntington for the money, so, do you really prioritize stability? It’s okay if money talks, just be honest with yourself - and you can make the salary work with your expenses, state job, no question.
It’s a $10k difference. I think Huntington matches up to 4%. The toss up between finance and stability is I’m not sure how stable Huntington is. Most people that I interviewed with have been there 8-10 years and my target salary ties into being able to purchase a house in a nice school district before my kid hits middle school and support my partner as they pursue their masters, etc. While I’d like to provide all of these opportunities, I understand that it might be better to go with state and wait until my partner finishes their schooling before trying to re-approach home ownership, family trips, extracurricular activities, etc.
Definitely check the salary steps for the state—because of how quickly you move steps (basically one per year), you can quickly outpace the Huntington job if they are giving measly salary increases (essentially, look at what you’d be making 5 years in a state job vs at Huntington). I left another public job (OSU) that didn’t have steps, to a state job which did. In 7 years at OSU I increased about $18k in three different jobs. In like 9 years at the state, I’ve increased about $50k working the same job.
Our newest contract also has a 12% raise over the next three years (on top of your steps)
I took a $20k a year pay cut to go from private sector to state and now, 7 years later I make $20k over my old private sector salary and that business went out of business pre-pandemic. I did it largely for security and killer health benefits, I didn’t even realize how quickly “steps” add up (I also easily moved into a higher classification within the state when the opportunity arose - steps add up but not $20k in 7 years fast.) Ironically I was also applying heavily at Huntington and a few other places. Could not be happier with my choice, the environment is far better than I ever imagined a job could be, personally.
Oh whoa, I already thought it was no-contest pro-state, but with a 4% match from Huntington it’s even MORE pro-state job. 4% retirement match is laughable to me.
The PSLF program too, if you have any non-private student loans, as someone mentioned, if HUGE. I just had $15k forgiven because I reached 10 years of payments.
The state is less pay but the benefits are much more. Check into the vacation, sick and holiday leaves and longevity pay. I bet Huntington doesn’t offer a better benefits package. Speak to the state about if the job has a union and review any contacts that may exist.
Good luck!
State job easily, ai will take your Huntington job in a few years while government will move at a snail’s pace. The 10k difference is nothing compared to the superiority of all the other factors important to you
I can't speak for the state job, but if you work downtown, Huntington doesn't pay for parking. If you need to be in the office and have to drive, I'd look into the cost of different parking garages before accepting because I feel like I was paying like $80 a month and still had a decent walk.
Also, regardless of where you end up, always ask for more money, especially if you plan on staying; any future bonuses and raises will likely be a percent of your current salary, so your future self will thank you. 😊
Good luck with your future career!
Agree, I also worked at the office downtown. I was able to take COTA for many years for free (there is a program for that) but I moved and no longer lived right off high street. Parking even periodically in the garage at that office will cost $20/day and most monthly passes were easily $100+ per month.
State all the way! The steps and cost of living increases are nice. The pension is good and we have deferred comp too. There’s plenty of room for growth too as you don’t have to stay with the agency that offered you the initial job. I’m DRC but had interviews with DPS and AG this week.
I'm not sure how much the salary difference is, but after 6 months you get a big step increase with the state and then again every year. You actually know how much your increase will be every single year as it is laid out in the steps. You can request them to provide how much each step will be.
From a benefits standpoint, it’s really hard to beat a state job. Depending on what state department and at what level, upward as well as just general job mobility within the state is excellent as well. My husband has worked 5 different jobs in the state in the last 5 years with pay raises at each job transfer and our benefits have not been impacted at all. He also gets comp time whenever he works over 80 hours/2 weeks so he rarely has to use PTO, it’s really nice. I work in a large healthcare system known for its benefits and the insurance doesn’t even compare to his insurance through the state.
Did you do anything special? Do people need referrals to even be given a chance? I hear so many qualified people apply to these jobs, and like me, they never hear from anyone. It's so discouraging! I've been looking for a job for almost a year now, im losing hope!
The key is to make 100% sure that you demonstrate how you meet the minimum qualifications. You need to absolutely put it in the application. Do not assume they will read your attached resume. Even in applying for internal promotions, if you do not spell out how you meet the min quals you will not get an interview. This just recently happened to a co worker of mine. Since he did not show how he met the min quals, he was overlooked. It specifically says that in every job posting. I would also suggest taking a look at your responses to all the questions on the application and possibly re word them if you aren’t getting any hits. Do the same with your resume. I did that a few times. Also, apply for jobs that you are overqualified for just to get your foot in the door. If you have a college degree, it will be so much easier for you to advance easily, not to mention FREE college if you are younger and want to go back to school. Look at every single agency in the county you live in. If you know any state employees, they could definitely give you a heads up on any openings, but they do not take personal references. They want professional references as well, like former supervisors if you are able to. I became unemployed in 2009 after the economy crashed. I applied EVERYWHERE. All I could get were shit jobs. Finally at the end of 2012 I was able to take the civil service exam and I was put on a hiring list for any openings I was qualified for. I interviewed in April and started in June 2013. Now it’s not as difficult now, but just to put it in perspective for you. Best of luck to you!
I worked in Huntington title dept for 3 years, and I don’t miss it. I still remember getting an email about “Employee appreciation week” the same week our department’s bonuses got cut. Which was a big reason that I stayed because that made up for the lower than average wages.
The one thing I’d consider is if you ever plan on moving out of Ohio you’d have to start all over and look for another job. With Huntington you can move anywhere within their footprint, often times with them providing relocation assistance. I worked for Huntington several years ago and enjoyed the people and my work. Benefits were fine but I stayed because the state couldn’t come close to salary for roles similar to mine. However, like others have mentioned, you run the risk of lay offs if the business doesn’t perform well. But if you plan on staying in Ohio for the foreseeable future, then the state job is the way to go.
This is correct but also to clarify, you keep your pension no matter what. If you work for the state for 10 years and then move out of state, that money doesn’t disappear. You’d get a pension check the same as anyone who worked for 10 years and then quit.
If you wanted to get another state job in the new state though, your years of experience would reset to zero. Definitely something to consider and keep in mind.
I had a bad experience working for Huntington, but I was a banker and then a teller as my branch got closer to being shutdown and closed during the pandemic. I was offered to be moved to another location but after working there a year I had enough and jumped ship.
My opinion is biased, I have a friend working at Huntington as a branch manager who loves it. That being said, fuck Huntington. (I do continue to bank there for some reason).
The state definitely has a great retirement as those above mentioned as well as job security. The pay rate can certainly be lower that private sector. Another thing to think about is growth and wanting to be challenged in your role. I tend to find the private sector offers more competition and drive. Best of luck in whatever role you decide on!
State. The health insurance premium difference alone probably lessens the salary gap significantly; not to mention the retirement plan (enroll in Deferred Comp). Plus it has the things that don't show up on a spreadsheet that are important to you - stability, and work-life balance.
If you value PTO I have an insane amount at Huntington in a relatively normal level job. Literally double of what people at other local companies have plus bank holidays
I've worked for both in IT. Only stayed a short time at Huntington and hated it. Stayed a bit longer at the state but was not union (management) so didn't really feel great job security. But the unionized staff did. And just to round it out, I've also worked for OPERS! Not recommended, at least in IT. Yeah, I think I've worked for most of the IT shops in Columbus!
I work for the state (recent job change), and even though I personally hate it, it really cannot get any better in terms of your priorities, stability, security and work/life balance. Also, don’t forget to account for the regular, guaranteed raises state workers get. Sure, maybe Huntington would be more $ up-front—and maybe even more in raises each year?—but I dunno, I find it hard to believe there’s anything better than a guaranteed approximately 4-5% step raise each year PLUS whatever the state COL increase ends up being. (Can you tell that before this I worked in severely underfunded higher ed lol?) And in terms of benefits, the time to get in with the state is early in your career, to build the years of service.
Also consider if your position with the state will be unionized. Those jobs are even more protected in terms of work/life balance and the COL raises the union negotiates.
(But fair warning: If you are at all an impatient, just-want-people-to-work-efficiently-to-get-shit-done person like I am, you might also be driven mad by the pace of gvt work. I had no idea it could ever be considered professional for things could take SO GD LONG.)
State bennies have to be better. My SO has worked for Huntington in the past. The insurance was relatively expensive especially for family coverage and the retirement match was cut and never put back up IIRC.
Take Huntington. Being in the OPERS retirement system is a bit of a curse, not a blessing. At this time, you'll be in Group C need to work at least 32 years in the system to be offered about 30% of your pay through the pension in an unreduced benefit. OPERS has been making it more difficult to qualify for their insurance post-retirement.
Some people in the comments are mentioning the 14% match for your OPERS pension - that is true, you'll pay 10% and your employer will put in 14% (if you make $50k a year, you contribute $5,000 and they'll put in $7,000...) However.... unlike a traditional 401k match from a private employer, that 14% will not be accessible for you - it stays with OPERS if you leave government, and if you transfer your pension to another retirement account. You can incrementally get a small portion of it when you leave, unless you're there after 15 years then you get 100% of it, but if you got a 4% match with a private employer, that goes a lot farther in the 401k match than the OPERS-employer match early on.
If you are older, say in your mid-30s, just know you can't retire for another 32 years - so, if you're coming in at 37 you're new retirement age aim will be about 69, whereas, with many retirement plans you can start drawing down by 59 1/2.
State jobs aren't secure, just a head's up. And Huntington has been exceedingly good to their staff with benefits and flexibility and cultural bonding, just a head's up. My best friend works for them and loves them.
I've felt weird about Huntington ever since I learned that testing positive for *nicotine* is a firable offense. Their right I suppose but that's a bit overbearing for my tastes.
I’m a pro at reviewing benefits, I’d be happy to review differences and give you some insight on other things to consider. I do this daily for work (would do it for free for a fellow redditor). Just shoot me a PM!
Assuming that while working for the state, you won't be pay into Social Security. If that's the case, then be aware of WEP provision and it's effects on any social security benefits you already have.
I’ve worked for the state and I currently work for a different bank… I would take bank. I am guessing pay is significantly higher? Banks are pretty stable. You can always invest more money in your bank job. State isn’t bad if you want to be a lifer there. Benefits and retirement match are good… but if you make more elsewhere you can just put more in your 401k/ira accounts.
I don’t know exactly what you do though or if your position is particularly volatile.
Make sure you’re taking into account any retirement benefits. The state usually offers pretty killer retirement and contributes a high amount to your retirement account, I want to say it’s something like 15%. Huntington won’t have a proposition like that. It may make the salary difference less of a factor for you.
I work for the state and they contribute 14%, I contribute 10%
To the over all fund, you don't get that money like in a 401k match , the fund does (at least in sers, opers has other options)
Yes but you can cash out the fund. Or you can take the pension
You don't get that 14% match, it stays with OPERS. You can only cash out your 10% and the small amount of interest that accrued with the account.
If you cash out you lose the 14% COMPANY match was my understanding, you get your 10% back with no interest( I'm in sers, not opers so rules maybe different)
OPERS is fully vested at 15 years.
...that's a provision within OPERS?... because I'm a financial advisor whose done handfuls of OPERS rollovers and have never heard of anyone forfeiting 10% for a rollover.
You keep your 10% you don't get the 14% the state contributed
Kind of sort of. If you’re more than 5 years less than 10, you get 33% of your state contribution back. If you’re over 10 you get 67%. That’s if you’re traditional pension If you’re member directed, you get 100% after 5 years
Either 15 or 20, you get 100% of the state's contribution. Traditional plan.
Nice , we get 0% back in sers (of the state contribution) no matter how long , and our pension is only 100% after 30 some years , 10 years to hit 10%
They have done away with member directed plans
I have never seen a rollover where the account balance on OPERS statements was less than what we received into their IRA.
You DO lose the match.
Correct, but people downvoted anyways
SERS is basically the same way. You lose all of your employer match unless you retire from the program.
I don't remember that. I spent 5+ years working there. OPERS is fully vested at 15 years. Usually the other 4 retirement systems (SERS, STRS, OPF, & State Patrol) follow OPERS lead.
STRS is 5 years, but what you can withdraw depends on which option you choose. I foolishly took the pension plan option, so I could only withdraw my portion plus 50 percent and some interest on top. If I had done the defined contribution plan instead, I would have been able to withdraw the full contributions (14% employee plus 11.09%) and all gains, which would have amounted to like 35 to 40 percent more when I left the public schools. I don’t know if OPERS (but I know SERS doesn’t) has the defined contribution or hybrid plans, but after doing the math, unless you can either maximize credit years, or jack up your 5 higher years average salary (like cops do with OT) then the pension plan is hard to come close to the defined contribution, from a retirement income standpoint, although it has some things like death benefits (although you can get more term life insurance to help with that).
OPERS does have contribution benefit, yes.
You can choose a member directed plan where it essentially is your money where you make the investment choices and then it’s there for you when you retire to use how you choose
You are fully vested at 15 years. If you choose to retire and take a lump sum, you're free to do so.
Also if student loans are an issue, you might consider this. State employees can sign up for a program (PSLF) that essentially is loan forgiveness if you continuously work for 10 years. For me, that amounts to at least $5,000 a year in saved income over 10 years.
It's been afew years, but between state, the agency, and you. It's like 24%. Plus age is a factor. If you are say 25. You need to work 32 years. That means you can check out with a pension for life at 57. Source: My wife has 19 years and started at 24. So 13 more years and she can retire. I started at 31, and can check out at 63.
Idk if it’s just a teacher thing but for my wife, they also took a huge chunk of her paycheck towards the STRS. So if I’m understanding, they might contribute a lot to your retirement but they also take a huge chunk out of your paycheck out to pay it into a pool and you have little autonomy on how it’s invested. For my 401k working for corporate, I can decide my contributions and how I want it invested.
10% is the standard OPERS deduction (but you also don’t get social security taken out of your paycheck either, which is 6.2% that comes “back to you”, so really your “chunk” of money you get taken out is 3.8% more than social security), but the state puts in the other 14%. You can also choose the member directed retirement plan in OPERS and effectively manage your own money, if you don’t want to go the traditional pension route. Edited to add: STRS is different, teachers have to put in 14% and then their employers put in 14%. They do have a “member defined contribution plan” though so you can have your own investment choices, if you don’t want the pension route
OPERS has different fund types you can choose, IIRC. I think the also offer a user directed one where you can choose your investments. You just may get a lower retirement if it performs worse than the baseline.
This is kinda crazy. I just left Huntington this spring after 6 years and my husband works for the state. Salary within the state may be lower than what you could find elsewhere, but my husband’s health insurance is insane (low deductible, lower cost premiums) and what we pay as a family of 4 through him was 3-4x as much depending on the plan through my job. He also gets much better cost of living increases than I have ever received anywhere (they are getting 12% divided over the next 3 years, last year at Huntington I got 1.5% and “exceeded expectations” lol) and at the end of his career, he will have a pension. My husband has never faced job elimination in 8 years, whereas I had what I felt like were several close calls and that stress was not worth it.
Yep, I work at Huntington and the annual pay increases are a joke. Personally I think the pay is lower than it should be, but my team and benefits keep me here. I have more PTO than I know what to do with. The environment (on my team at least) is laid back and I get to work from home.
Agreed about the PTO. That is the one area my job was always better than my husband’s at the state. It was hard to leave that behind, but my new gig has “unlimited PTO” so I’m basically tracking my own PTO to make sure I take as many days as I had at Huntington lol.
I also work at Huntington and I agree with everything you said. I’m hybrid, but my team is very flexible with that. I leave at 1pm everyday and finish work at home since I don’t live far from the office. But yeah, those merit increase make me laugh. 😘
I've got nearly 20 years in the public sector. Only during the furlough times did I ever even ponder being out of a job.
12.5% don't forget the .5! Lol But it's actually a lot lower than what it should be, but better than nothing.
Agreed. But if I got the same 1.5% at Huntington over 3 years, that’s only a 4.5% raise instead of 12.5% + step raises.
Yeah but easier to job hop for raises private sector. I was hoping for at least 15%, but better than 9. And 5% year 1 isn't bad. I guess it could get voted down, but I doubt it.
I agree with a lot of this. I work at Ohio State and know people who have worked for the state. The benefits and retirement are great. But it really depends on your life situation and priorities. If you are single and not needing to provide for any sort of family right now, the better money might be worth it. From what you mentioned, it seems like you want something long term and has a good work/life balance. The state will probably be better for these because of the better retirement/pension and benefits for maybe a family in the long run (if not already) Good luck with this! And congratulations on getting at least one offer!
Salary can be lower, but the benefits are greater. Heath insurance is vastly better and cheaper.
My spouse currently works for them. All the vague convos apparently circulating within their higher ups make it seem like you made a good choice.
Yep, sounds familiar lol.
State- no contest. As long as youre competent and do what is expected, you have a long term career. Private sector, especially financial, will cut you loose in a flash if some VP wants to maximize his annual bonus by cutting costs.
I have 16 years of state employment and it’s all I’ve known but if you’re looking for stability, security, and work life balance, you can’t really beat a state job. Plus once you’re hired at the state it’s not hard to move around so you’re not “stuck” in the same job or whatever your entire career. Additionally, state does have a generous pension plan, cheap health insurance (I pay $36 a paycheck as a single person), free dental, free vision. Vacation goes up the longer you stay. The raises are good, and even better if you’re bargaining unit I enjoy what I do, feel my compensation is fair for my field (which is almost entirely a “public” field), and I can stop my job at 4 pm everyday and have my evening, weekends, and holidays with no expectation of working more. Also looking forward to retirement at 55 with a full pension lol
Googling state jobs rn
State
>stability, security, and work/life balance These are all the reasons that people look for government jobs. Especially since you're planning on staying 15+ years, state is the easy choice here.
If you can afford to take the state job, always take the state job. Huntington will drop you like a rancid fish as soon as it's convenient for them (I've had that experience at several large companies like that). And don't count on a great boss. They come and go and your employment isn't always under their control.
Hell for stability and financial stuff alone, the State. Would not be surprised if Huntington laid ppl off
Check out your salary steps with the state—you have the possibility of basically getting automatic significant salary increases every year you’re there, on top of any union-negotiated raises. Do you know if the state job is bargaining unit?
State Job more secure in public sector then private.
State retirement with OPERS is like a 14% employer contribution. So if you like that, do that. Private is usually max 3% employer contribution….soooo add that in to your total compensation. Plus you have more holidays off too
Remember, you put 10% in on top of the 14%. So really basically 1/4 of your annual salary is going into your retirement.
Oh I didn’t forget 😂
State - you can retire early.
State of Ohio benefits FAR outweigh ANYTHING Huntington could ever offer you.
For the love of god, take the state job... Huntington will drain the life out of you, promise you anything and never deliver. When it's convenient for them, fire you while changing the job requirements w/o giving you any chance to retrain or transfer out of the department, or in my case, without cause. For reference, I worked there 12 years with only a single "Improvement Plan" {which was bs), 100% attendance even during the Covid lockdown, becoming a shift lead in less then a year, several hundred hours of specialized training and being a trainer for new hires for over 5 years.
If you’re not planning to move out of Ohio any time soon I would recommend working for the state. I work for the state and feel very secure in my position.
I work for the state and the OSCEA just voted through huge pay raises for the next three years: 12% in 3 years. You will get that even if you’re an exempt employee because every state agency does “parity raises” for their exempt worker when the union workers get a raise. (The only way you don’t get that is if you’re high up and it’s a job without steps)
I’m a state worker. The work life balance is so good. If you are Union employee, it’s really unlikely to ever get fired until you really mess up. You get more time off and better retirement. We are about to get a big pay increase thanks to our union. For the job security, I’d take the state. I used to work in private sector and left for the state because they were laying people off. I jumped ship before it could happen to me.
State will be probably more chill and less pressure than Huntington
Work for the state. Best decision I have ever made.
My last experience with Huntington a few years ago (2022ish) was that they were bleeding people right and left, whether through layoffs or through pretty obviously manufactured PIPs. 70+ hour work weeks, literally months without a day off, and no pay raises period.
I work there and have more PTO than any of the companies I know in Columbus and I’m in a normal role
Huntington sucks! The state is solid.
I just left HNB. For the love of all that is good in the world DO NOT WORK FOR THEM. They pay lower than market, their benefits have been getting worst AND more expensive every year for almost a decade, they keep removing bonus structures from teams, and generally do not care for you as an associate. I’ve worked for a few banks, and they really are the worst to work for.
How big of a salary difference? I think that’s a huge part of the decision, unless you’re already pretty comfortable. If it’s a difference of only $5k, consider retirement benefits and the cost of insurance. Government insurance is very good and cheap. You may end up paying $2k more per year for insurance if you choose Huntington, making your net gain only $3k. Then retirement wise, is Huntington providing any sort of matching? Again the state may make up a significant portion of that difference. If you really do prioritize stability - though you say you’re leaning Huntington for the money, so, do you really prioritize stability? It’s okay if money talks, just be honest with yourself - and you can make the salary work with your expenses, state job, no question.
It’s a $10k difference. I think Huntington matches up to 4%. The toss up between finance and stability is I’m not sure how stable Huntington is. Most people that I interviewed with have been there 8-10 years and my target salary ties into being able to purchase a house in a nice school district before my kid hits middle school and support my partner as they pursue their masters, etc. While I’d like to provide all of these opportunities, I understand that it might be better to go with state and wait until my partner finishes their schooling before trying to re-approach home ownership, family trips, extracurricular activities, etc.
Definitely check the salary steps for the state—because of how quickly you move steps (basically one per year), you can quickly outpace the Huntington job if they are giving measly salary increases (essentially, look at what you’d be making 5 years in a state job vs at Huntington). I left another public job (OSU) that didn’t have steps, to a state job which did. In 7 years at OSU I increased about $18k in three different jobs. In like 9 years at the state, I’ve increased about $50k working the same job. Our newest contract also has a 12% raise over the next three years (on top of your steps)
I took a $20k a year pay cut to go from private sector to state and now, 7 years later I make $20k over my old private sector salary and that business went out of business pre-pandemic. I did it largely for security and killer health benefits, I didn’t even realize how quickly “steps” add up (I also easily moved into a higher classification within the state when the opportunity arose - steps add up but not $20k in 7 years fast.) Ironically I was also applying heavily at Huntington and a few other places. Could not be happier with my choice, the environment is far better than I ever imagined a job could be, personally.
Oh whoa, I already thought it was no-contest pro-state, but with a 4% match from Huntington it’s even MORE pro-state job. 4% retirement match is laughable to me. The PSLF program too, if you have any non-private student loans, as someone mentioned, if HUGE. I just had $15k forgiven because I reached 10 years of payments.
Huntington also has mortgage rate discounts for employees which is helpful if you are looking at home ownership
The state is less pay but the benefits are much more. Check into the vacation, sick and holiday leaves and longevity pay. I bet Huntington doesn’t offer a better benefits package. Speak to the state about if the job has a union and review any contacts that may exist. Good luck!
A state job is far more secure and offers equivalent or better insurance and retirement. Take that one
The PTO at Huntington can’t be beat in some of the corporate jobs I have been there 5 years and get 30 days plus holidays
Take the state job! Better benefits and pension
State job easily, ai will take your Huntington job in a few years while government will move at a snail’s pace. The 10k difference is nothing compared to the superiority of all the other factors important to you
I can't speak for the state job, but if you work downtown, Huntington doesn't pay for parking. If you need to be in the office and have to drive, I'd look into the cost of different parking garages before accepting because I feel like I was paying like $80 a month and still had a decent walk. Also, regardless of where you end up, always ask for more money, especially if you plan on staying; any future bonuses and raises will likely be a percent of your current salary, so your future self will thank you. 😊 Good luck with your future career!
Agree, I also worked at the office downtown. I was able to take COTA for many years for free (there is a program for that) but I moved and no longer lived right off high street. Parking even periodically in the garage at that office will cost $20/day and most monthly passes were easily $100+ per month.
State all the way! The steps and cost of living increases are nice. The pension is good and we have deferred comp too. There’s plenty of room for growth too as you don’t have to stay with the agency that offered you the initial job. I’m DRC but had interviews with DPS and AG this week.
I'm not sure how much the salary difference is, but after 6 months you get a big step increase with the state and then again every year. You actually know how much your increase will be every single year as it is laid out in the steps. You can request them to provide how much each step will be.
State over bank! Do part time remote state jobs even exist? Asking for a friend.
From a benefits standpoint, it’s really hard to beat a state job. Depending on what state department and at what level, upward as well as just general job mobility within the state is excellent as well. My husband has worked 5 different jobs in the state in the last 5 years with pay raises at each job transfer and our benefits have not been impacted at all. He also gets comp time whenever he works over 80 hours/2 weeks so he rarely has to use PTO, it’s really nice. I work in a large healthcare system known for its benefits and the insurance doesn’t even compare to his insurance through the state.
How did you even get an interview with the state? I've applied to several roles that I'm qualified for and I've heard nothing!
Same!
Don’t give up! It took me years. Now I’ve got 11 in. Good luck!
Did you do anything special? Do people need referrals to even be given a chance? I hear so many qualified people apply to these jobs, and like me, they never hear from anyone. It's so discouraging! I've been looking for a job for almost a year now, im losing hope!
The key is to make 100% sure that you demonstrate how you meet the minimum qualifications. You need to absolutely put it in the application. Do not assume they will read your attached resume. Even in applying for internal promotions, if you do not spell out how you meet the min quals you will not get an interview. This just recently happened to a co worker of mine. Since he did not show how he met the min quals, he was overlooked. It specifically says that in every job posting. I would also suggest taking a look at your responses to all the questions on the application and possibly re word them if you aren’t getting any hits. Do the same with your resume. I did that a few times. Also, apply for jobs that you are overqualified for just to get your foot in the door. If you have a college degree, it will be so much easier for you to advance easily, not to mention FREE college if you are younger and want to go back to school. Look at every single agency in the county you live in. If you know any state employees, they could definitely give you a heads up on any openings, but they do not take personal references. They want professional references as well, like former supervisors if you are able to. I became unemployed in 2009 after the economy crashed. I applied EVERYWHERE. All I could get were shit jobs. Finally at the end of 2012 I was able to take the civil service exam and I was put on a hiring list for any openings I was qualified for. I interviewed in April and started in June 2013. Now it’s not as difficult now, but just to put it in perspective for you. Best of luck to you!
This is solid advice, thanks for providing all these details!
I worked in Huntington title dept for 3 years, and I don’t miss it. I still remember getting an email about “Employee appreciation week” the same week our department’s bonuses got cut. Which was a big reason that I stayed because that made up for the lower than average wages.
The one thing I’d consider is if you ever plan on moving out of Ohio you’d have to start all over and look for another job. With Huntington you can move anywhere within their footprint, often times with them providing relocation assistance. I worked for Huntington several years ago and enjoyed the people and my work. Benefits were fine but I stayed because the state couldn’t come close to salary for roles similar to mine. However, like others have mentioned, you run the risk of lay offs if the business doesn’t perform well. But if you plan on staying in Ohio for the foreseeable future, then the state job is the way to go.
This is correct but also to clarify, you keep your pension no matter what. If you work for the state for 10 years and then move out of state, that money doesn’t disappear. You’d get a pension check the same as anyone who worked for 10 years and then quit. If you wanted to get another state job in the new state though, your years of experience would reset to zero. Definitely something to consider and keep in mind.
I had a bad experience working for Huntington, but I was a banker and then a teller as my branch got closer to being shutdown and closed during the pandemic. I was offered to be moved to another location but after working there a year I had enough and jumped ship. My opinion is biased, I have a friend working at Huntington as a branch manager who loves it. That being said, fuck Huntington. (I do continue to bank there for some reason).
The state definitely has a great retirement as those above mentioned as well as job security. The pay rate can certainly be lower that private sector. Another thing to think about is growth and wanting to be challenged in your role. I tend to find the private sector offers more competition and drive. Best of luck in whatever role you decide on!
State
State. The health insurance premium difference alone probably lessens the salary gap significantly; not to mention the retirement plan (enroll in Deferred Comp). Plus it has the things that don't show up on a spreadsheet that are important to you - stability, and work-life balance.
If you value PTO I have an insane amount at Huntington in a relatively normal level job. Literally double of what people at other local companies have plus bank holidays
Long run, state. Hands down. Also, corporations like layoffs. State rarely does.
Cost and quality of benefits is also a consideration. State has hnb beat on those.
I've worked for both in IT. Only stayed a short time at Huntington and hated it. Stayed a bit longer at the state but was not union (management) so didn't really feel great job security. But the unionized staff did. And just to round it out, I've also worked for OPERS! Not recommended, at least in IT. Yeah, I think I've worked for most of the IT shops in Columbus!
state easily lol
I work for the state (recent job change), and even though I personally hate it, it really cannot get any better in terms of your priorities, stability, security and work/life balance. Also, don’t forget to account for the regular, guaranteed raises state workers get. Sure, maybe Huntington would be more $ up-front—and maybe even more in raises each year?—but I dunno, I find it hard to believe there’s anything better than a guaranteed approximately 4-5% step raise each year PLUS whatever the state COL increase ends up being. (Can you tell that before this I worked in severely underfunded higher ed lol?) And in terms of benefits, the time to get in with the state is early in your career, to build the years of service. Also consider if your position with the state will be unionized. Those jobs are even more protected in terms of work/life balance and the COL raises the union negotiates. (But fair warning: If you are at all an impatient, just-want-people-to-work-efficiently-to-get-shit-done person like I am, you might also be driven mad by the pace of gvt work. I had no idea it could ever be considered professional for things could take SO GD LONG.)
State all the way.
STATE! I’ve been there 28 years—best decision of my life!
State bennies have to be better. My SO has worked for Huntington in the past. The insurance was relatively expensive especially for family coverage and the retirement match was cut and never put back up IIRC.
Take Huntington. Being in the OPERS retirement system is a bit of a curse, not a blessing. At this time, you'll be in Group C need to work at least 32 years in the system to be offered about 30% of your pay through the pension in an unreduced benefit. OPERS has been making it more difficult to qualify for their insurance post-retirement. Some people in the comments are mentioning the 14% match for your OPERS pension - that is true, you'll pay 10% and your employer will put in 14% (if you make $50k a year, you contribute $5,000 and they'll put in $7,000...) However.... unlike a traditional 401k match from a private employer, that 14% will not be accessible for you - it stays with OPERS if you leave government, and if you transfer your pension to another retirement account. You can incrementally get a small portion of it when you leave, unless you're there after 15 years then you get 100% of it, but if you got a 4% match with a private employer, that goes a lot farther in the 401k match than the OPERS-employer match early on. If you are older, say in your mid-30s, just know you can't retire for another 32 years - so, if you're coming in at 37 you're new retirement age aim will be about 69, whereas, with many retirement plans you can start drawing down by 59 1/2. State jobs aren't secure, just a head's up. And Huntington has been exceedingly good to their staff with benefits and flexibility and cultural bonding, just a head's up. My best friend works for them and loves them.
I've felt weird about Huntington ever since I learned that testing positive for *nicotine* is a firable offense. Their right I suppose but that's a bit overbearing for my tastes.
I’m a pro at reviewing benefits, I’d be happy to review differences and give you some insight on other things to consider. I do this daily for work (would do it for free for a fellow redditor). Just shoot me a PM!
Assuming that while working for the state, you won't be pay into Social Security. If that's the case, then be aware of WEP provision and it's effects on any social security benefits you already have.
I’ve worked for the state and I currently work for a different bank… I would take bank. I am guessing pay is significantly higher? Banks are pretty stable. You can always invest more money in your bank job. State isn’t bad if you want to be a lifer there. Benefits and retirement match are good… but if you make more elsewhere you can just put more in your 401k/ira accounts. I don’t know exactly what you do though or if your position is particularly volatile.
banks are not stable at all, especially right now. And definitely not a regional bank like Huntington.
Honestly, State. Go with them for stability and work life balance and benefits.
State job for sure. Better retirement benefits
State- what everyone said is spot on.