Much of that increased compensation cost based on ABC-metrics -- tied in ways to time+motion studies -- should also be directly connected to the "enhanced printing technology costs for the Next Generation (NextGen) passport book. [If not, get set for a faster series of fee increases because of this transition.] The "NextGen" stock not only costs more than the general stock already in general circulation, but it also costs more to use the "NextGen" stock to issue passports.

Passport adjudicators are primarily State employees who on average (IIRC) make about $70k/year in salary and work at the passport agencies around the country. Additional security elements involved in the processing increase not only the time it takes them to process the passport application and issue the passport but it also increases the costs that arise from the mistakes that take place in using the blanks to make passports.

People really should ask what additional bang for their buck are they getting for the fee increase that comes with this. Will say a c. $400 million/year increase in fees paid for by US citizens to get the next generation passports provide a c. $400 million increase in "security" value (over the current state) to those very citizens issued the next generation US passport? Probably not, IMO.