The article empirically checks the hypothesis about weak discipline of following the regulations and procedures by civil servants in federal and regional public administrations due to insufficient level of salaries and significance of patronage links for carrier promotion, rather than qualitative work. The research showed that despite the original hypothesis, civil servants have a high enough level of labor motivation on the whole, irrelatively to salaries and carrier connections. Their labor motivation is based on carrying out assigned tasks on time and widely spread practice to work overtime and on weekends and holidays. The results of research allow to distinguish such factors of labor motivation as social status, stability and reliability of the occupation, if to compare with by far higher instability of employment in private business, self-realization and deserved carrier promotion (primarily for younger respondents) as heads of departments, or connection with something great – serving for the good of the country, social (civil) service. Under-pay for employees of the lowest and middle levels brings about stafffl ow (instability), thus decreasing the significance of motivation. Paradoxically though, this attracts people to pubic administration for whom salary does not matter much. At the same time high motivation and work ethics do not result in effective work and performance, especially when it concerns fulfi lling tasks and directives.