Washington - More than 300 federal employees in Connecticut, including accountants, lawyers and human resource officers, earned more than then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell in 2009, a new report found.

The 350 federal employees in Connecticut who took home larger paychecks than the state's top executive officer included 255 medical professionals, four transportation specialists including air traffic controllers and three engineers and architects. Rell, who did not seek re-election in 2010, earned $150,000 in 2009.

The report, requested by Sen. Tom Coburn, R- Okla., will likely fuel debates about federal spending. Coburn has pushed for lower pay for federal employees and contended that cutting payroll is one way the United States could reduce its budget deficit.

Physicians, air traffic controllers

The figures, from the federal Office of Personnel Management, are for 2009, the last year available. Nationally, of the 77,057 federal workers who earned more than their governors, 23 percent, or 18,351, were medical professionals.

After physicians, air traffic controllers were the second most likely to make more, with 5,170 controllers getting larger paychecks than the governors of the states where they resided.

At the top, Colorado had 10,875 people earning more than then-Gov. Bill Ritter, whose pay was $90,000 in 2009.

Vermont had only 100 federal employees out-earning then-Gov. Jim Douglas. Douglas took home $142,548 that year.

Governors on average made $127,661 in 2009, with California's then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger topping the list with a salary of $212,179. Schwarzenegger returned his pay to California every year he was in office.

The $70,000 salary for Maine's then-Gov. John Baldacci was at the bottom of the list of governor salaries.

Close to 3,500 federal employees in Maine took home larger paychecks than Baldacci that year.

"No one would disagree that federal employees deserve to be paid adequately for their work," Coburn said in a statement. "We can all agree on the importance of paying highly specialized doctors to care for wounded soldiers and veterans, or skilled engineers for their services. However, when our nation is over $14 trillion in debt and American families are struggling to make ends meet, this report begs for an explanation of why interior designers, recreation planners, and other public employees are enjoying higher salaries than state governors."

The Congressional Research Service report does not provide federal workers' individual salaries nor does it account for varying living costs among states, which can affect federal pay.

The report drew criticism from the National Treasury Employees Union, a group representing 150,000 federal employees.

"The largest percentage of federal employees cited in this CRS report is made up of professionals such as doctors, attorneys and scientists. Their compensation pales by comparison to those in similar positions in the private sector," union President Colleen M. Kelley said. "Virtually all of them could earn substantially more by leaving government service. That they do not is to the enormous benefit of the public and the country."

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(Email: Lauren.french(at)chron.com)