Pay Rates for "Economist"
How much does an Economist in the federal government get paid?
$107,285.05*
*Based on the 2009 average.
4,225
EMPLOYEES
$451.67M
TOTAL SALARY
GS
MOST COMMON PAYSCALE
Economist was the 68th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2009, with 4,225 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale .
In 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics hired the most employees titled Economist, with an average salary of $89,000.
Government Economist jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale.
The minimum paygrade for a Economist 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.
Job Description
This occupation includes positions that require application of a professional knowledge of economics in the performance of duties that include: research into economic phenomena, analysis of economic data, and the preparation of interpretive reports; advice and consultation on economic matters to governmental officials and private organizations or citizens; and the performance of other professional work in economics including supervision and the direction of economists engaged in the various economics programs of the Federal Government.
Agencies that have hired an Economist
Agency
Employees Hired
Average Salary
Bureau of Labor Statistics 1,238
$88,999.83
Bureau of Economic Analysis 269
$103,262.71
Economic Research Service 232
$118,514.35
Departmental Offices 230
$126,907.95
Internal Revenue Service 225
$98,954.82
Department of Energy 176
$106,630.12
Environmental Protection Agency 164
$113,641.94
Federal Trade Commission 76
$139,828.20
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 69
$107,267.30
Office of Comptroller of Currency 65
$158,474.00
Foreign Agricultural Service 64
$96,414.33
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 61
$111,469.38
Commodity Futures Trading Commission 61
$138,265.97
Offices, Boards and Divisions 59
$142,816.85
Federal Communications Commission 55
$147,438.29
International Trade Administration 54
$110,817.07
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 52
$98,256.54
U.S. Agency for International Development 50
$98,529.86
Bureau of the Census 48
$93,349.29
U.S. International Trade Commission 43
$112,254.70
Natural Resources Conservation Service 40
$96,160.43
Federal Aviation Administration 36
$118,349.67
Social Security Administration 36
$119,829.53
Securities and Exchange Commission 34
$179,632.91
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 31
$114,495.00
Farm Service Agency 31
$125,538.90
Forest Service 29
$92,414.38
Office of the Chief Economist 28
$146,001.61
Agricultural Marketing Service 27
$110,195.78
Bureau of Reclamation 24
$84,752.63
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 24
$108,319.58
Food and Drug Administration 24
$113,421.88
Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Resolution 21
$119,992.24
National Institute of Standards and Technology 20
$125,637.05
Office of the Secretary, Research and Technology 19
$87,412.47
U.S. Coast Guard 19
$98,282.11
Federal Housing Finance Agency 18
$5,285.71
Department of State 17
$127,207.41
Geological Survey 17
$103,503.00
Risk Management Agency 17
$93,360.65
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 16
$141,355.06
Economics and Statistics Administration 16
$141,308.56
National Institutes of Health 15
$98,379.47
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation., & Enforcement 15
$111,706.47
Federal Railroad Administration 14
$122,461.50
Office of Management and Budget 13
$145,098.08
Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration 13
$99,938.46
Occupational Safety and Health Administration 13
$113,777.69
Surface Transportation Board 12
$113,285.92
Bureau of International Labor Affairs 12
$121,851.83
Rural Business-Cooperative Service 12
$124,021.58
National Science Foundation 11
$140,333.18
Transportation Security Administration 10
$96,372.70
Small Business Administration 10
$122,870.80
Office of Assistant Secretary for Policy 10
$134,116.00
Consumer Product Safety Commission 10
$121,683.70
Council of Economic Advisers 9
$66,766.67
Employee Benefits Security Administration 8
$98,360.88
Veterans Health Administration 8
$120,070.00
Overseas Private Investment Corporation 8
$99,693.75
Bureau of Land Management 8
$96,547.25
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters 7
$135,039.43
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 7
$113,163.14
Export-Import Bank of the United States 7
$109,111.86
Food Safety and Inspection Service 6
$119,883.83
Office of the Secretary of the Interior 6
$116,621.50
Federal Maritime Commission 6
$109,824.83
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southeast/Caribbean 6
$78,870.50
Office of Secretary of Transportation 6
$140,669.67
Office Secretary Health and Human Services 5
$137,546.20
Office of Senior Coordinator for Mid-Atlantic 5
$80,983.00
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southwest 5
$81,559.60
Office of Inspector General (Department of Transportation) 5
$92,054.20
Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner 5
$125,723.20
Maritime Administration 5
$127,025.60
Office of Senior Coordinator for Rocky Mountains 4
$87,325.50
Patent and Trademark Office 4
$102,687.00
Mine Safety and Health Administration 4
$134,838.75
Office of Thrift Supervision 4
$168,462.50
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 4
$116,060.75
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative 3
$150,526.33
Nuclear Regulatory Commission 3
$116,114.33
Office of Senior Coordinator for Pacific/Hawaii 3
$123,623.67
Railroad Retirement Board 3
$92,799.00
Institute of Education Sciences 3
$137,068.00
Customs and Border Protection 3
$110,945.33
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 3
$129,455.67
Office of Senior Coordinator for New England 3
$81,944.33
Office of Senior Coordinator for Northwest/Alaska 3
$98,657.67
Food and Nutrition Service 3
$102,262.67
Millennium Challenge Corporation 2
$129,152.50
Farm Credit Administration 2
$167,385.50
Office of Senior Coordinator for Midwest 2
$92,456.00
Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement 2
$104,915.00
Office of Budget and Program Analysis 2
$89,376.00
Women's Bureau 2
$113,007.00
National Park Service 2
$105,359.50
Federal Transit Administration 2
$126,109.00
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 2
$104,834.50
Rural Utilities Service 2
$119,006.50
Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity 2
$115,803.50
Federal Highway Administration 2
$127,007.50
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2
$83,413.50
Employment and Training Administration 2
$86,164.50
Rural Housing Service 2
$123,143.50
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program & Data Analysis 1
$133,543.00
Employment Standards Administration 1
$95,026.00
Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development 1
$95,026.00
U.S. Mint 1
$73,175.00
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing 1
$104,314.00
Office of Senior Coordinator for New York/New Jersey 1
$106,847.00
Pipeline/Hazardous Materials Safety Administration 1
$92,723.00
Civil Rights 1
$130,118.00
Departmental Administration 1
$109,570.00
Agricultural Research Service 1
$123,269.00
African Development Foundation 1
$130,118.00
Citizenship and Immigration Services 1
$102,721.00
Immigration and Customs Enforcement 1
$106,145.00
Federal Emergency Management Agency 1
$117,919.00
National Telecommunications and Information Administration 1
$153,200.00
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office 1
$149,025.00
Office of Secretary of Labor 1
$162,900.00
National Credit Union Administration 1
$101,013.00
Show All
Economist Pay Distribution
The average pay for an Economist is $107,285.05. The highest paid Economist made $242,300 in 2009.
Common Economist Payscales
Payscale
Number of Economist Employees
GS - General Schedule
3,182
ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional
345
GM - Emp Covered By Pmrs Termination Provisns
101
ES - Senior Executive Service
91
NB - Ofc Of Comptroller Of The Currency Only
65
CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Pos
61
CG - Corporate Graded
59
AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not E
59
FV - Faa Core Compensation Plan
36
EF - Consultant (5 U.s.c. 3109)
31
SK - Sec Emp Formerly Under Gs, Gm, And Ez
31
ED - Expert (5 U.s.c. 3109)
30
FP - Foreign Service Personnel
25
** -
19
SL - Senior Level Positions
15
FO - Foreign Service Officers
13
IR - Irs Broadband Class And Pay System Pos
11
SV - Trans Security Admin Emp Other Than Exec
10
EI - Advisory Committee Member (other)
8
AP - Admin, Profess, & Scientific Career Path
6
EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109
5
GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule
4
TG - Ofc Of Thrift Supervision Salary Schedul
4
SO - Sec Emp Formerly Under Es Pay Plan
3
VH - Professional, Admin., And Managerial
2
EX - Executive Pay
2
MC - Emp Of Millennium Challenge Corporation
2
RS - Senior Biomedical Research Service
1
CM - Fdic Suprv And Mangr Pos Below Exec Lev
1
EM - Fdic Executive-level Positions Only
1
EJ - Dept Of Energy Org Act Excepted Service
1
CU - Credit Union Employees
1
Show All
Starting Paygrade:
$36,070.00
/ year base pay at paygrade GS-6, Step 1
Maximum Paygrade:
$152,771.00
/ year base pay at paygrade GS-15, Step 10
Category:
Professional and Scientific
Occupation Family:
0100 SOCIAL SCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY, AND WELFARE GROUP
Other Jobs at the GS-6 Paygrade
GS-6 is the starting paygrade for Economist jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the GS-6 paygrade.
Average Economist Pay Trend from 2004 to 2022
In 2004, the average pay for an Economist was $87,989. Since then, the average pay has increased to $134,776 in 2022.
The series code of this occupation is 0110.
FederalPay.org
Economist - Federal Salaries of 2009
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI)