FederalPay.org
Computer Scientist - Federal Salaries of 2020
Pay Rates for "Computer Scientist"
How much does a Computer Scientist in the federal government get paid? $136,476.07* *Based on the 2020 average.Computer Scientist was the 140th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2020, with 1,398 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.
In 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration hired the most employees titled Computer Science, with an average salary of $136,833.
Government Computer Science jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a Computer Science job is GS-6, and the highest paygrade that can be attained within this job series is GS-15. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.
This occupation includes professional positions which primarily involve the application of, or research into, computer science methods and techniques to store, manipulate, transform or present information by means of computer systems. The primary requirements of the work are (a) professional competence in applying the theoretical foundations of computer science, including computer system architecture and system software organization, the representation and transformation of information structures, and the theoretical models for such representations and transformations; (b) specialized knowledge of the design characteristics, limitations, and potential applications of systems having the ability to transform information, and of broad areas of applications of computing which have common structures, processes, and techniques; and (c) knowledge of relevant mathematical and statistical sciences.
Agencies that have hired a Computer Scientist
Computer Scientist Pay Distribution
The average pay for a Computer Scientist is $136,476.07. The highest paid Computer Scientist made $264,000 in 2020.
Common Computer Scientist Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Computer Science Employees |
|---|---|
| GS - General Schedule | 799 |
| FV - Federal Aviation Administration Core Compensation Plan | 252 |
| ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional | 221 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified | 30 |
| RG - Scientists Appointed As Fellows And Compensated Under 42 U.s.c. 209(g). Includes Non-citizens Whose Employment | 29 |
| RF - Employees Appointed And Compensated As Special Consultants Under 42 U.s.c. 209(f). Includes Non-citizens Whose | 20 |
| ST - Scientific And Professional | 9 |
| EE - Expert (other) | 9 |
| ES - Senior Executive Service | 8 |
| NB - Office Of The Comptroller Of The Currency Only | 5 |
| SL - Senior Level Positions | 4 |
| EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) | 3 |
| EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 2 |
| IR - Internal Revenue Service Broadband Classification And Pay System Positions Only | 2 |
| IC - Employees Holding Incident Management Cadre Of On-call Response/recovery Employees(core)positions | 1 |
| CG - Corporate Graded | 1 |
| GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule | 1 |
| SK - Non-supervisorty Postions Employed By The Securities And Exchange Commission (sec) And Formerly Under Gs Pay | 1 |
| EN - National Nuclear Security Administration Excepted Service Only | 1 |
| Starting Paygrade: | $34,649.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-6, Step 1 |
| Maximum Paygrade: | $146,757.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-15, Step 10 |
| Category: | Professional and Scientific |
| Occupation Family: | 1500 MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES GROUP |
Other Jobs at the GS-6 Paygrade
GS-6 is the starting paygrade for Computer Science jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the GS-6 paygrade.
| Occupation | Occupation Category | Starting Paygrade | Maximum Paygrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Administration and Program | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Mining Engineering | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
| International Cooperation | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Archeology | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
| Mathematics Technician | Technical and Medical Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
Average Computer Science Pay Trend from 2004 to 2020
In 2004, the average pay for a Computer Scientist was $102,212. Since then, the average pay has increased to $136,476 in 2020.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 1550.