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Economist - Federal Salaries of 2018
Pay Rates for "Economist"
How much does an Economist in the federal government get paid? $124,485.25* *Based on the 2018 average.Economist was the 66th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2018, with 4,426 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.
In 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics hired the most employees titled Economist, with an average salary of $103,031.
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 $124,485.25. The highest paid Economist made $273,400 in 2018.
Common Economist Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Economist Employees |
|---|---|
| GS - General Schedule | 3,258 |
| ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional | 384 |
| NB - Ofc Of Comptroller Of The Currency Only | 106 |
| SK - Sec Emp Formerly Under Gs, Gm, And Ez | 103 |
| CG - Corporate Graded | 81 |
| ES - Senior Executive Service | 79 |
| CN - Bur Of (cfpb) An Indep Ag Within Frs | 44 |
| EL - Non-executive Positions At Fhfa | 36 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not E | 35 |
| CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Pos | 31 |
| FV - Faa Core Compensation Plan | 29 |
| EF - Consultant (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 26 |
| RG - Code For Use By Hhs Only. | 24 |
| FO - Foreign Service Officers | 21 |
| GM - Emp Covered By Pmrs Termination Provisns | 21 |
| IR - Irs Broadband Class And Pay System Pos | 19 |
| SL - Senior Level Positions | 18 |
| GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule | 18 |
| OR - Employees Of The Ofr, Treasury | 17 |
| MC - Emp Of Millennium Challenge Corporation | 17 |
| SV - Trans Security Admin Emp Other Than Exec | 11 |
| ED - Expert (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 8 |
| VH - Professional, Admin., And Managerial | 5 |
| FP - Foreign Service Personnel | 5 |
| ST - Scientific And Professional | 4 |
| CU - Credit Union Employees | 4 |
| EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) | 3 |
| RF - Code Is For Use By Hhs Only. | 3 |
| EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109 | 3 |
| EM - Fdic Executive-level Positions Only | 3 |
| SO - Sec Emp Formerly Under Es Pay Plan | 3 |
| LL - Executives At Federal Housing Finance Ag | 2 |
| RS - Senior Biomedical Research Service | 2 |
| CM - Fdic Suprv And Mangr Pos Below Exec Lev | 1 |
| SS - Senior Staff Positions | 1 |
| EX - Executive Pay | 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.