FederalPay.org
Economist - Federal Salaries of 2020
Pay Rates for "Economist"
How much does an Economist in the federal government get paid? $129,870.05* *Based on the 2020 average.Economist was the 65th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2020, with 4,262 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.
In 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics hired the most employees titled Economist, with an average salary of $107,884.
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 $129,870.05. The highest paid Economist made $277,600 in 2020.
Common Economist Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Economist Employees |
|---|---|
| GS - General Schedule | 3,153 |
| ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional | 357 |
| SK - Non-supervisorty Postions Employed By The Securities And Exchange Commission (sec) And Formerly Under Gs Pay | 100 |
| NB - Office Of The Comptroller Of The Currency Only | 95 |
| CG - Corporate Graded | 78 |
| ES - Senior Executive Service | 73 |
| EL - Non-executive Positions At The Federal Housing Finance Agency | 44 |
| CN - Bureau Of Consumer Financial Protect(cfpb) Independent Agcy Within The Fed Res Syst(use By Cfpb Only) | 43 |
| FV - Federal Aviation Administration Core Compensation Plan | 37 |
| EF - Consultant (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 35 |
| CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Positions Previously Defined Under Pay Plan Codes Ad, Es, Gm, And Gs | 34 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified | 28 |
| GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule | 22 |
| SL - Senior Level Positions | 21 |
| RG - Scientists Appointed As Fellows And Compensated Under 42 U.s.c. 209(g). Includes Non-citizens Whose Employment | 18 |
| MC - Employees Of The Millennium Challenge Corporation Appointed Under Public Law 108-199 Only. | 15 |
| FO - Foreign Service Officers | 14 |
| FP - Foreign Service Personnel | 14 |
| OR - Employees Of The Office Of Financial Research (ofr) Within The Department Of The Treasury | 11 |
| ED - Expert (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 10 |
| SV - Transportation Security Administration Employees Other Than Executives | 9 |
| IR - Internal Revenue Service Broadband Classification And Pay System Positions Only | 7 |
| GM - Employees Covered By The Performance Management And Recognition System (pmrs) Termination Provisions | 7 |
| EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) | 7 |
| VH - Professional, Administrative, And Managerial | 6 |
| CU - Credit Union Employees | 5 |
| RF - Employees Appointed And Compensated As Special Consultants Under 42 U.s.c. 209(f). Includes Non-citizens Whose | 4 |
| EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 3 |
| CM - Fdic Supervisory And Managerial Positions Below The Executive Level Only | 2 |
| LL - Executives At The Federal Housing Finance Agency | 2 |
| EX - Executive Pay | 2 |
| ST - Scientific And Professional | 2 |
| EM - Fdic Executive-level Positions Only | 1 |
| RA - Department Of Agriculture Positions In The Senior Scientific Research Service | 1 |
| SO - Executive Positions Employed By The Securities And Exchange Commission (sec) And Formerly Under The Es Pay Pla | 1 |
| SS - Senior Staff Positions | 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.