FederalPay.org
General Physical Scientist - Federal Salaries of 2015
Pay Rates for "General Physical Scientist"
How much does a General Physical Scientist in the federal government get paid? $117,718.74* *Based on the 2015 average.General Physical Scientist was the 52nd most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2015, with 5,429 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.
In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency hired the most employees titled General Physical Science, with an average salary of $113,441.
Government General Physical Science jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a General Physical Science 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.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions fall under this job category. Due to the growing focus of them STEM fields, individuals in this job category tend to advance more quickly than employees in the other job categories. Jobs in this category are being added quickly and many organizations have trouble finding qualified individuals. Individuals in this job category typically recieve pormotions of 2 grade increases at a time until they reach GS-12.
Agencies that have hired a General Physical Scientist
General Physical Scientist Pay Distribution
The average pay for a General Physical Scientist is $117,718.74. The highest paid General Physical Scientist made $240,300 in 2015.
Common General Physical Scientist Payscales
| Payscale | Number of General Physical Science Employees |
|---|---|
| GS - General Schedule | 4,192 |
| ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional | 591 |
| GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule | 152 |
| ES - Senior Executive Service | 135 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not E | 80 |
| NN - Nnsa Engineering And Scientific | 51 |
| ST - Scientific And Professional | 30 |
| EN - Nat Nuclear Security Admin Exc Srvc Only | 27 |
| SL - Senior Level Positions | 26 |
| EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) | 20 |
| ZZ - Nonapplicable | 17 |
| ED - Expert (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 12 |
| RG - Code For Use By Hhs Only. | 11 |
| EF - Consultant (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 11 |
| EJ - Dept Of Energy Org Act Excepted Service | 10 |
| FV - Faa Core Compensation Plan | 10 |
| EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109 | 9 |
| EK - Nat Defense Auth Act 1995 Energy Exc Svc | 7 |
| GM - Emp Covered By Pmrs Termination Provisns | 7 |
| SN - Senior Level System | 6 |
| ET - Pro Dir Of The Adv Res Prj Ag-en | 5 |
| EG - Consultant (other) | 4 |
| FP - Foreign Service Personnel | 3 |
| EX - Executive Pay | 2 |
| IC - Federal Emergency Management Agency Use | 2 |
| PG - Printing Office Grades | 2 |
| EE - Expert (other) | 2 |
| ER - Scientific Engr Pr Per Of Adv Res Pr Ag | 1 |
| FO - Foreign Service Officers | 1 |
| RS - Senior Biomedical Research Service | 1 |
| EV - Faa Executive Compensation Plan | 1 |
| IR - Irs Broadband Class And Pay System Pos | 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: | 1300 PHYSICAL SCIENCES GROUP |
Other Jobs at the GS-6 Paygrade
GS-6 is the starting paygrade for General Physical Science 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Information | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| General Telecommunication | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Botany | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
| Electrical Engineering | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
| Biological Science Technician | Technical and Medical Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
Average General Physical Science Pay Trend from 2004 to 2021
In 2004, the average pay for a General Physical Scientist was $93,121. Since then, the average pay has increased to $127,767 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 1301.