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Economist - Federal Salaries of 2012
Pay Rates for "Economist"
How much does an Economist in the federal government get paid? $112,353.80* *Based on the 2012 average.Economist was the 67th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2012, with 4,258 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.
In 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics hired the most employees titled Economist, with an average salary of $94,605.
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.
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
Economist Pay Distribution
The average pay for an Economist is $112,353.80. The highest paid Economist made $250,000 in 2012.
Common Economist Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Economist Employees |
|---|---|
| GS - General Schedule | 3,156 |
| ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional | 341 |
| CG - Corporate Graded | 79 |
| ES - Senior Executive Service | 77 |
| NB - Ofc Of Comptroller Of The Currency Only | 70 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not E | 63 |
| CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Pos | 62 |
| GM - Emp Covered By Pmrs Termination Provisns | 61 |
| SK - Sec Emp Formerly Under Gs, Gm, And Ez | 58 |
| FP - Foreign Service Personnel | 52 |
| EF - Consultant (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 43 |
| FV - Faa Core Compensation Plan | 30 |
| EL - Non-executive Positions At Fhfa | 28 |
| ED - Expert (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 27 |
| SL - Senior Level Positions | 17 |
| CN - Bur Of (cfpb) An Indep Ag Within Frs | 16 |
| IR - Irs Broadband Class And Pay System Pos | 13 |
| OR - Employees Of The Ofr, Treasury | 11 |
| GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule | 9 |
| FO - Foreign Service Officers | 7 |
| AP - Admin, Profess, & Scientific Career Path | 7 |
| MC - Emp Of Millennium Challenge Corporation | 4 |
| SV - Trans Security Admin Emp Other Than Exec | 4 |
| LL - Executives At Federal Housing Finance Ag | 4 |
| CU - Credit Union Employees | 3 |
| EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) | 3 |
| VH - Professional, Admin., And Managerial | 3 |
| ST - Scientific And Professional | 2 |
| EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109 | 1 |
| EG - Consultant (other) | 1 |
| RS - Senior Biomedical Research Service | 1 |
| SS - Senior Staff Positions | 1 |
| SO - Sec Emp Formerly Under Es Pay Plan | 1 |
| CM - Fdic Suprv And Mangr Pos Below Exec Lev | 1 |
| FE - Senior Foreign Service | 1 |
| EM - Fdic Executive-level Positions Only | 1 |
| 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.
| Occupation | Occupation Category | Starting Paygrade | Maximum Paygrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Carrier Safety | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Human Resources Management | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Tax Specialist | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Genetics | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
| Respiratory Therapist | Technical and Medical Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
Average Economist Pay Trend from 2004 to 2021
In 2004, the average pay for an Economist was $87,989. Since then, the average pay has increased to $131,693 in 2021.
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 0110.