Economist - Federal Salaries of 2016

Pay Rates for "Economist"

How much does an Economist in the federal government get paid? $117,316.34* *Based on the 2016 average.

4,378 EMPLOYEES

$508.92M TOTAL SALARY

GS MOST COMMON PAYSCALE

Economist was the 62nd most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2016, with 4,378 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.

In 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics hired the most employees titled Economist, with an average salary of $95,998.

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	1,181	$95,998.16
Bureau of Economic Analysis	285	$109,436.60
Departmental Offices	232	$131,921.98
Internal Revenue Service	215	$121,893.26
Economic Research Service	203	$120,150.52
Environmental Protection Agency	168	$116,068.00
Securities and Exchange Commission	117	$186,309.75
Office of Comptroller of Currency	96	$180,963.06
Department of Energy	89	$114,003.45
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission	84	$95,113.87
Federal Trade Commission	81	$150,339.48
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	81	$139,172.09
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	65	$109,484.34
Bureau of the Census	62	$118,047.40
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	61	$125,426.26
U.S. Agency for International Development	60	$112,036.48
Federal Communications Commission	59	$144,770.63
Foreign Agricultural Service	59	$102,679.80
Offices, Boards and Divisions	54	$149,056.67
Food and Drug Administration	43	$119,779.47
U.S. International Trade Commission	43	$111,772.95
Citizenship and Immigration Services	41	$121,804.20
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection	40	$375.00
Social Security Administration	39	$126,550.72
Federal Housing Finance Agency	37	$165,349.46
International Trade Administration	34	$115,564.32
Office of Secretary of Transportation	33	$105,028.42
Natural Resources Conservation Service	31	$110,321.39
Forest Service	30	$112,469.20
Commodity Futures Trading Commission	30	$151,996.93
Federal Aviation Administration	29	$132,646.90
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services	27	$125,405.63
Agricultural Marketing Service	24	$106,278.29
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality	23	$140,330.17
Farm Service Agency	23	$134,635.26
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service	22	$113,211.00
Office of the Chief Economist	22	$152,277.68
Geological Survey	22	$108,787.36
Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Resolution	21	$135,905.14
Bureau of Reclamation	21	$91,289.05
Office Secretary Health and Human Services	18	$104,372.50
Council of Economic Advisers	18	$67,443.78
Department of State	17	$136,329.71
Economics and Statistics Administration	16	$138,933.25
Risk Management Agency	14	$94,520.86
Office of Management and Budget	14	$144,081.07
Federal Railroad Administration	14	$109,123.29
Employee Benefits Security Administration	14	$122,608.14
Occupational Safety and Health Administration	14	$122,395.86
National Institute of Standards and Technology	13	$118,675.38
Overseas Private Investment Corporation	10	$109,785.00
Office of the Secretary of the Interior	10	$115,431.00
Food Safety and Inspection Service	10	$125,753.60
Patent and Trademark Office	10	$123,173.60
Rural Business-Cooperative Service	9	$117,243.56
Consumer Product Safety Commission	9	$120,165.11
Transportation Security Administration	9	$95,066.44
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management	9	$116,385.33
Bureau of International Labor Affairs	9	$133,560.22
Office of Assistant Secretary for Policy	9	$149,221.33
Export-Import Bank of the United States	9	$114,075.44
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission	8	$123,785.38
National Institutes of Health	8	$95,787.13
Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration	8	$112,301.50
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	8	$121,079.75
Surface Transportation Board	8	$142,126.13
Maritime Administration	7	$125,684.57
Bureau of the Fiscal Service	7	$107,369.57
Federal Maritime Commission	7	$114,761.86
National Science Foundation	7	$155,009.86
Millennium Challenge Corporation	6	$135,718.67
Small Business Administration	6	$135,349.00
Federal Emergency Management Agency	6	$112,585.50
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southeast/Caribbean	6	$99,780.83
Bureau of Land Management	6	$105,593.33
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters	5	$125,807.20
Pipeline/Hazardous Materials Safety Administration	5	$134,213.60
Veterans Health Administration	5	$132,658.20
Nuclear Regulatory Commission	5	$123,855.80
Mine Safety and Health Administration	5	$126,545.80
Farm Credit Administration	5	$177,911.20
Office of Senior Coordinator for Midwest	5	$90,427.20
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southwest	5	$94,441.80
National Park Service	5	$96,631.80
National Credit Union Administration	5	$172,155.80
Food and Nutrition Service	4	$106,726.50
Customs and Border Protection	4	$109,004.00
Office of Inspector General (Department of Transportation)	4	$108,824.75
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration	4	$130,500.00
Office of Senior Coordinator for Pacific/Hawaii	4	$104,366.50
Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner	4	$132,929.00
Employment and Training Administration	3	$83,332.00
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs	3	$118,405.00
Institute of Education Sciences	3	$146,798.00
National Telecommunications and Information Administration	3	$126,065.33
National Protection and Programs Directorate	3	$137,127.00
Office of Senior Coordinator for Rocky Mountains	3	$95,218.00
Office of Senior Coordinator for Northwest/Alaska	3	$98,347.67
Government National Mortgage Association	3	$148,236.67
Federal Highway Administration	3	$123,772.67
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative	2	$144,191.00
Agricultural Research Service	2	$98,969.50
Civil Rights	2	$73,075.00
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation	2	$122,987.00
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs	2	$101,361.00
Women's Bureau	2	$101,216.00
Immigration and Customs Enforcement	2	$104,488.00
Office of Senior Coordinator for Mid-Atlantic	2	$81,534.00
Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement	2	$111,314.00
Office of Personnel Management	2	$120,483.50
Railroad Retirement Board	2	$92,986.50
Office of Inspector General (Department of Health and Human Services)	1	$169,918.00
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration	1	$110,578.00
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Regulation	1	$76,736.00
Rural Housing Service	1	$185,100.00
Rural Utilities Service	1	$160,300.00
Departmental Administration	1	$141,555.00
Federal Transit Administration	1	$133,152.00
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration	1	$98,289.00
U.S. Mint	1	$136,096.00
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program & Data Analysis	1	$141,555.00
Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity	1	$150,432.00
Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement	1	$160,300.00
Office of Secretary of Labor	1	$142,814.00
Office Assistant Secretary Administration and Management	1	$115,867.00
Office of Postsecondary Education	1	$92,145.00

Economist Pay Distribution

The average pay for an Economist is $117,316.34. The highest paid Economist made $265,000 in 2016.

Common Economist Payscales

Payscale	Number of Economist Employees
GS - General Schedule	3,206
ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional	346
SK - Sec Emp Formerly Under Gs, Gm, And Ez	106
NB - Ofc Of Comptroller Of The Currency Only	96
ES - Senior Executive Service	84
CG - Corporate Graded	78
EF - Consultant (5 U.s.c. 3109)	47
CN - Bur Of (cfpb) An Indep Ag Within Frs	40
EL - Non-executive Positions At Fhfa	36
AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not E	32
CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Pos	30
GM - Emp Covered By Pmrs Termination Provisns	30
FV - Faa Core Compensation Plan	29
RG - Code For Use By Hhs Only.	28
ED - Expert (5 U.s.c. 3109)	24
FP - Foreign Service Personnel	23
OR - Employees Of The Ofr, Treasury	22
FO - Foreign Service Officers	18
SL - Senior Level Positions	18
IR - Irs Broadband Class And Pay System Pos	17
EI - Advisory Committee Member (other)	9
SV - Trans Security Admin Emp Other Than Exec	9
GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule	9
MC - Emp Of Millennium Challenge Corporation	6
EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109	5
VH - Professional, Admin., And Managerial	5
CU - Credit Union Employees	4
RF - Code Is For Use By Hhs Only.	3
IC - Federal Emergency Management Agency Use	3
ST - Scientific And Professional	3
SO - Sec Emp Formerly Under Es Pay Plan	3
EX - Executive Pay	2
CM - Fdic Suprv And Mangr Pos Below Exec Lev	2
RS - Senior Biomedical Research Service	2
SS - Senior Staff Positions	1
EM - Fdic Executive-level Positions Only	1
LL - Executives At Federal Housing Finance Ag	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

Search for Economist Jobs

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.