I camp a lot and fish various areas around the US and every retired person I meet worked for the Govt. a few were pilots. I meet almost zero that retired from private companies. Expensive RV's , Nice condo's lots of travel are the norm. . I rent a house from a guy in Belize, my age retired fireman also has a condo in Fla. a 30' boat at both places. You may have avg. pay now but you get to retire early and have similar pay the rest of your life + huge bennies. Cry me a river.