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General Attorney - Federal Salaries of 2020

Pay Rates for "General Attorney"

How much does a General Attorney in the federal government get paid? $146,901.79* *Based on the 2020 average.
37,964 EMPLOYEES
$4.45B TOTAL SALARY
GS MOST COMMON PAYSCALE

General Attorney was the 7th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2020, with 37,964 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.

In 2020, the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys and the Office of U.s Attorneys hired the most employees titled General Attorney, with an average salary of $145,209.

Government General Attorney jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. 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 professional legal positions involved in preparing cases for trial and/or the trial of cases before a court or an administrative body or persons having quasi-judicial power; rendering legal advice and services with respect to questions, regulations, practices, or other matters falling within the purview of a Federal Government agency (this may include conducting investigations to obtain evidentiary data); preparing interpretive and administrative orders, rules, or regulations to give effect to the provisions of governing status or other requirements of law; drafting, negotiating, or examining contracts or other legal documents required by the agency's activities; drafting, preparing formal comments, or otherwise making substantive recommendations with respect to proposed legislation; editing and preparing for publication statutes enacted by Congress and opinions or decisions of a court, commission, or board; and drafting and reviewing decisions for consideration and adoption by agency officials. Included also are positions, not covered by the Administrative Procedure Act, involved in hearing cases arising under contracts or under the regulations have the effect of law, and rendering decisions or making recommendations for disposition of such cases. The work of this occupation requires admission to the bar.

Agencies that have hired a General Attorney

Agency Employees Hired Average Salary
Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys and the Office of U.s Attorneys 6,501 $145,208.68
Social Security Administration 3,740 $109,889.72
Offices, Boards and Divisions 3,637 $162,211.22
Securities and Exchange Commission 1,916 $213,801.71
Internal Revenue Service 1,671 $146,433.25
Immigration and Customs Enforcement 1,374 $139,236.30
Small Business Administration 1,318 $77,112.20
Executive Office for Immigration Review 1,021 $149,318.87
Board of Veterans Appeals 1,013 $118,326.33
Environmental Protection Agency 999 $151,028.22
Patent and Trademark Office 936 $139,798.04
Federal Trade Commission 664 $160,308.82
Federal Communications Commission 594 $161,254.15
General Counsel (Department of Veterans Affairs) 575 $133,440.96
National Labor Relations Board 574 $146,831.81
Office Secretary Health and Human Services 503 $147,515.14
Office of the Solicitor (Department of Labor) 487 $152,296.11
Customs and Border Protection 450 $139,069.46
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 426 $143,257.04
Office for Civil Rights 418 $125,816.30
Office of the Solicitor (Department of Interior) 417 $139,985.41
U.S. Trustee Program 383 $155,803.02
Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals 365 $87,537.05
Department of Energy 328 $149,876.34
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 315 $220,406.59
Department of State 295 $162,301.99
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection 295 $185,989.24
Citizenship and Immigration Services 291 $160,724.89
Commodity Futures Trading Commission 274 $215,453.66
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 269 $152,108.31
Federal Bureau of Investigation 235 $161,239.59
Office of the Secretary (Department of Commerce) 221 $143,966.94
Federal Emergency Management Agency 213 $138,319.13
Federal Aviation Administration 210 $149,918.45
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System 197 $147,477.17
Office of the General Counsel (Department of Agriculture) 191 $140,330.77
Office of Comptroller of Currency 166 $206,833.46
Transportation Security Administration 164 $166,833.29
Office of General Counsel (Department of Housing and Urban Development) 155 $144,238.94
Office of General Counsel (General Services Administration) 142 $142,074.96
Food and Drug Administration 139 $153,623.87
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters 127 $158,272.68
Departmental Offices 123 $169,271.76
Drug Enforcement Administration 122 $161,999.72
U.S. Agency for International Development 119 $161,322.73
Office of Secretary of Labor 118 $120,507.57
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 117 $155,389.40
Merit Systems Protection Board 114 $160,172.39
U.S. Coast Guard 108 $143,692.12
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 101 $147,131.34
Nuclear Regulatory Commission 100 $158,677.51
U.S. International Trade Commission 97 $158,198.99
Office of Special Counsel 94 $137,376.34
Office of the General Counsel (Department of Education) 93 $148,663.72
Office of Inspector General (Department of Health and Human Services) 91 $153,043.15
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives 83 $161,868.44
Office of Secretary of Transportation 82 $152,405.62
Federal Election Commission 76 $155,761.21
Office of the Secretary of the Interior 64 $159,665.83
Federal Labor Relations Authority 59 $138,335.19
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative 58 $155,348.59
Federal Student Aid 55 $91,275.82
48 $166,275.21
Federal Highway Administration 45 $157,508.29
Consumer Product Safety Commission 42 $143,292.50
Federal Railroad Administration 41 $146,857.49
Headquarters, Nasa 41 $165,849.83
Federal Housing Finance Agency 40 $207,451.06
National Credit Union Administration 39 $0.00
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 38 $156,702.39
Office of Justice Programs 37 $167,500.54
Office of Senior Coordinator for Midwest 34 $143,248.38
Overseas Private Investment Corporation 33 $169,818.82
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southeast/Caribbean 32 $136,110.94
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Justice) 32 $171,806.50
Export-Import Bank of the United States 32 $159,391.28
Pipeline/Hazardous Materials Safety Administration 32 $143,014.72
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 31 $141,618.65
National Protection and Programs Directorate 30 $159,901.53
Office of Personnel Management 30 $153,883.27
Inspector General (Department of Veterans Affairs) 30 $160,709.73
U.S. Secret Service 29 $148,399.07
National Science Foundation 28 $176,279.75
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Homeland Security) 28 $159,062.36
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers 28 $124,583.79
Office of Senior Coordinator for Pacific/Hawaii 26 $154,332.65
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission 25 $129,122.04
Smithsonian Institution (Exchange Sep Boards of Trust) 25 $144,939.96
U.S. Marshals Service 25 $167,923.76
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southwest 25 $142,465.40
Federal Transit Administration 24 $142,855.50
Maritime Administration 24 $147,518.54
Office of Inspector General (Federal Housing Finance Agency) 24 $203,069.81
Office of the Secretary (Department of Veterans Affairs) 23 $145,391.87
Office of Inspector General (Department of Housing and Urban Development) 23 $155,281.91
U.S. Tax Court 23 $157,146.17
Office of Senior Coordinator for Mid-Atlantic 22 $142,640.55
Federal Maritime Commission 22 $155,361.00
Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission 21 $139,672.81
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau 21 $152,946.73
Office of Government Ethics 21 $146,793.14
Bureau of the Fiscal Service 19 $145,856.16
Railroad Retirement Board 18 $159,518.22
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 18 $133,282.72
Office of Senior Coordinator for New York/New Jersey 17 $154,967.88
Office of Senior Coordinator for Rocky Mountains 17 $140,207.53
Civilian Board of Contract Appeals 17 $172,692.88
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center 16 $159,685.06
Office of Senior Coordinator for New England 16 $138,416.38
Millennium Challenge Corporation 16 $169,092.19
Office of Management and Budget 15 $159,636.27
John F. Kennedy Space Center 15 $125,481.20
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board 15 $143,922.53
Farm Credit Administration 15 $262,427.57
Office of Senior Coordinator for Great Plains 15 $130,959.07
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Interior) 14 $165,657.57
National Archives and Records Administration 14 $156,593.93
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight 14 $146,490.43
Bureau of Engraving and Printing 13 $150,617.92
National Appeals Division 13 $135,054.77
National Telecommunications and Information Administration 13 $153,165.69
Office of the Director 12 $145,890.92
Goddard Space Flight Center 12 $162,560.33
Peace Corps 11 $169,832.82
Office of Inspector General (Department of Transportation) 11 $156,646.36
Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program 11 $165,472.27
Office of Inspector General for Tax Administration 11 $171,316.09
Office of Senior Coordinator for Northwest/Alaska 11 $142,842.55
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Agriculture) 10 $145,676.70
Economic Development Administration 10 $146,935.20
U.S. Mint 10 $160,852.50
Veterans Health Administration 10 $153,494.80
Corporation for National and Community Service 10 $151,087.80
Government Printing Office 10 $154,639.40
Broadcasting Board of Governors 9 $158,949.11
Ames Research Center 9 $158,681.22
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center 9 $150,843.33
National Gallery of Art 9 $156,024.89
Office of Inspector General (General Services Administration) 9 $167,070.44
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network 9 $163,606.89
Administrative Conference of the United States 8 $134,152.88
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Commerce) 8 $158,148.00
John Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field 8 $125,980.75
National Transportation Safety Board 8 $161,172.63
Office of Administration 8 $156,542.13
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 7 $150,986.29
National Mediation Board 7 $152,343.86
International Trade Administration 7 $165,062.86
Trade and Development Agency 7 $157,641.71
Langley Research Center 7 $146,809.14
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Labor) 6 $168,876.50
Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs 5 $157,171.00
Office of the Secretary of Housing & Urban Development Department 4 $149,091.00
Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency 4 $168,643.50
National Council on Disability 4 $135,249.25
Dryden Flight Research Center 4 $162,556.25
National Endowment for the Arts 4 $148,683.50
National Endowment for the Humanities 4 $146,464.00
Institute of Museum and Library Services 4 $161,064.00
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 4 $157,405.75
Architectural & Transportation Barrier Compliance Board 4 $158,842.00
Office of Inspector General (Department of Education) 4 $170,059.25
Council on Environmental Quality/Office of Environmental Quality 4 $135,752.25
Chemical Safety/Hazard Investigation Board 4 $144,606.75
Presidio Trust 4 $195,629.50
Election Assistance Commission 4 $136,275.00
Office of Inspector General (Department of Treasury) 4 $160,089.75
Commission on Civil Rights 3 $141,524.67
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Housing and Urban Development) 3 $159,697.00
International-American Foundation 3 $123,318.67
John C. Stennis Space Center 3 $134,759.67
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service 3 $134,311.67
Office of Inspector General (Committee for Purchase from People Blind or Severely Disabled) 3 $161,582.00
National Institutes of Health 3 $52,175.00
International Boundary & Water Commission: U.S. & Mexico 2 $136,543.50
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 2 $164,254.50
2 $148,805.00
Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council 2 $156,089.00
Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation 2 $265,505.00
Pretrial Services Agency 2 $149,621.50
Office of National Drug Control Policy 2 $137,330.00
Selective Service System 2 $146,058.00
St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation 2 $125,596.50
National Capital Planning Commission 1 $170,800.00
National Security Council 1 $102,663.00
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation 1 $160,630.00
Agricultural Marketing Service 1 $112,138.00
American Battle Monuments Commission 1 $170,800.00
African Development Foundation 1 $102,663.00
Bureau of the Census 1 $183,100.00
Marine Mammal Commission 1 $170,800.00
Office of Governmentwide Policy 1 $170,800.00
The U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission 1 $123,360.00
International Joint Commission: U.S. & Canada 1 $170,800.00
Office of the Committee for Purchase from People Blind 1 $170,800.00
Administration for Children and Families 1 $143,315.00
Community Relations Service 1 $170,800.00
Denali Commission 1 $170,182.00
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council 1 $170,800.00
Public Buildings Service 1 $170,800.00
Office of Civil Rights (General Services Administration) 1 $145,578.00
Office of Science and Technology Policy 1 $170,800.00

General Attorney Pay Distribution

The average pay for a General Attorney is $146,901.79. The highest paid General Attorney made $286,221 in 2020.

Common General Attorney Payscales

Payscale Number of General Attorney Employees
GS - General Schedule 25,441
AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified 6,654
SK - Non-supervisorty Postions Employed By The Securities And Exchange Commission (sec) And Formerly Under Gs Pay 1,807
ES - Senior Executive Service 944
IJ - Immigration Judge Schedule 558
CN - Bureau Of Consumer Financial Protect(cfpb) Independent Agcy Within The Fed Res Syst(use By Cfpb Only) 295
CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Positions Previously Defined Under Pay Plan Codes Ad, Es, Gm, And Gs 274
CG - Corporate Graded 244
SL - Senior Level Positions 216
FV - Federal Aviation Administration Core Compensation Plan 202
NB - Office Of The Comptroller Of The Currency Only 166
SV - Transportation Security Administration Employees Other Than Executives 156
IC - Employees Holding Incident Management Cadre Of On-call Response/recovery Employees(core)positions 117
SO - Executive Positions Employed By The Securities And Exchange Commission (sec) And Formerly Under The Es Pay Pla 104
AL - Administrative Law Judges 101
GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule 80
AA - Administrative Appeals Judges 71
GM - Employees Covered By The Performance Management And Recognition System (pmrs) Termination Provisions 58
FP - Foreign Service Personnel 49
EL - Non-executive Positions At The Federal Housing Finance Agency 45
CM - Fdic Supervisory And Managerial Positions Below The Executive Level Only 45
CU - Credit Union Employees 32
NQ - Employees In The National Nuclear Secuirty Administration's Professional, Technical, And Admin Career Path 31
EX - Executive Pay 30
FO - Foreign Service Officers 30
IR - Internal Revenue Service Broadband Classification And Pay System Positions Only 27
EM - Fdic Executive-level Positions Only 24
LL - Executives At The Federal Housing Finance Agency 19
VH - Professional, Administrative, And Managerial 17
MC - Employees Of The Millennium Challenge Corporation Appointed Under Public Law 108-199 Only. 15
CA - Board Of Contract Appeals 14
PG - Printing Office Grades 9
SW - Transportation Security Administration Executives 8
NY - All Other Positions In The Corporation For National And Community Service, P.l. 103-82, Subtitle G, Section 8
SN - Senior Level System 8
SS - Senior Staff Positions 7
EV - Federal Aviation Administration Executive Compensation Plan 7
ZA - Administrative 7
EJ - The Department Of Energy Organization Act Excepted Service 6
AJ - Administrative Judges 6
FE - Senior Foreign Service 5
IM - Employees Holding Incident Management Positions And Appointed And Compensated Under Section 306(b)(1) 4
EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) 4
OR - Employees Of The Office Of Financial Research (ofr) Within The Department Of The Treasury 4
IG - Inspectors General Whose Rate Of Basic Pay Is Set At Level Iii Of The Executive Schedule Plus 3 Percent 3
NX - Executive-level And Managerial Positions In The Corporation For National And Community Service, P.l. 103-82 2
CX - Senior Expert Positions In The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 2
EF - Consultant (5 U.s.c. 3109) 2
GE - U.s. Government Printing Office Employees Formerly Under Pay Plan Sl (senior Level Positions) 1
EG - Consultant (other) 1
ED - Expert (5 U.s.c. 3109) 1
FJ - Officials On Noncareer Appointments 1
EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109) 1
EN - National Nuclear Security Administration Excepted Service Only 1

Category: N/A
Occupation Family: 0900 LEGAL AND KINDRED GROUP

Average General Attorney Pay Trend from 2004 to 2021

In 2004, the average pay for a General Attorney was $111,132. Since then, the average pay has increased to $150,295 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 0905.

** This Document Provided By www.FederalPay.org - The Civil Employee's Resource **
Source: www.federalpay.org/employees/occupations/general-attorney/2020