FederalPay.org
Top 100 Federal Occupations in 2018
This table shows the top 100 most well-paid occupations in the federal government in 2018, ranked by average pay. In 2018, the number one most well-paid job was "Securities Compliance Examining," with an average yearly pay of $181,645. The runner-up job, "Patent Attorney," follows with an average of $170,324, which is a 6.23% decrease.
| Rank | Occupation Title | Average Pay | Highest Paid Individual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Securities Compliance Examiner | $181,645.32 | $244,184 |
| 2 | Patent Attorney | $170,324.14 | $199,225 |
| 3 | Nurse Anesthetist (title 38) | $168,287.36 | $207,800 |
| 4 | Patent Administrator | $166,874.05 | $187,148 |
| 5 | Administrative Law Judge | $163,169.71 | $183,425 |
| 6 | Technical Systems Program Manager | $153,384.09 | $199,548 |
| 7 | General Mathematican/Statistician | $153,383.31 | $241,600 |
| 8 | Chief Engineer | $151,178.77 | $165,164 |
| 9 | Metallurgist | $149,602.23 | $187,000 |
| 10 | Patent Classifying | $144,385.10 | $169,995 |
| 11 | Astronomy and Space Scientist | $141,854.48 | $181,562 |
| 12 | Program Manager | $141,691.94 | $334,175 |
| 13 | General Attorney | $139,209.77 | $287,774 |
| 14 | Mathematician | $137,429.97 | $258,616 |
| 15 | Physicist | $137,380.22 | $270,400 |
| 16 | Financial Analyst | $136,575.52 | $286,345 |
| 17 | Patent Adviser | $136,010.67 | $161,900 |
| 18 | Financial Manager | $135,006.47 | $255,554 |
| 19 | Fish and Wildlife Administrator | $134,021.85 | $187,000 |
| 20 | Health System Administrator | $130,855.02 | $225,398 |
| 21 | Computer Scientist | $130,658.25 | $220,000 |
| 22 | Financial Institution Examiner | $129,470.85 | $288,524 |
| 23 | Aerospace Engineer | $128,827.22 | $193,840 |
| 24 | Actuarial Scientist | $128,738.14 | $187,000 |
| 25 | Pharmacologist | $128,099.34 | $248,699 |
| 26 | Zoologist | $127,859.44 | $173,417 |
| 27 | General Engineer | $127,312.16 | $252,450 |
| 28 | Electronics Engineer | $126,852.81 | $192,879 |
| 29 | Medical Officer | $126,560.27 | $390,000 |
| 30 | Photographic Technology | $126,494.80 | $165,480 |
| 31 | Computer Engineer | $126,288.20 | $199,869 |
| 32 | Cryptanalyst | $125,324.94 | $163,900 |
| 33 | Mediator | $125,200.78 | $172,100 |
| 34 | Education Researcher | $125,157.33 | $187,000 |
| 35 | Air Traffic Controller | $125,067.68 | $202,285 |
| 36 | Patent Examiner | $124,675.63 | $180,388 |
| 37 | Air Safety Investigator | $124,221.08 | $163,400 |
| 38 | Foreign Affairs Personnel | $123,707.05 | $224,020 |
| 39 | Materials Engineer | $123,014.58 | $172,100 |
| 40 | Naval Architect | $123,013.85 | $161,900 |
| 41 | Foreign Agricultural Affairs Personnel | $122,967.66 | $187,000 |
| 42 | Plant Physiologist | $122,262.03 | $207,800 |
| 43 | Transportation Industry Analyst | $122,236.03 | $161,900 |
| 44 | Economist | $121,837.32 | $268,306 |
| 45 | Employee Benefits Lawyer | $121,701.60 | $187,000 |
| 46 | International Cooperation Personnel | $121,432.76 | $161,900 |
| 47 | Document Analyst | $121,048.54 | $161,900 |
| 48 | General Physical Scientist | $120,784.34 | $252,450 |
| 49 | Operations Researcher | $120,718.68 | $192,522 |
| 50 | International Relations Personnel | $120,633.86 | $187,000 |
| 51 | Toxicologist | $120,248.84 | $250,000 |
| 52 | Oceanographer | $120,141.37 | $187,000 |
| 53 | Mathematical Statistician | $119,541.87 | $273,345 |
| 54 | Geodesist | $119,130.06 | $163,817 |
| 55 | Health Physicist | $118,988.87 | $172,100 |
| 56 | Fire Protection Engineer | $118,611.61 | $170,305 |
| 57 | Pharmacist | $118,354.82 | $225,000 |
| 58 | Geophysicist | $117,598.85 | $187,500 |
| 59 | Chemical Engineer | $117,467.97 | $172,546 |
| 60 | Marine Survey Technician | $116,784.28 | $161,900 |
| 61 | Aviation Safety Personnel | $116,539.82 | $190,165 |
| 62 | Clothing Designer | $115,902.00 | $130,311 |
| 63 | Dental Officer | $115,769.37 | $337,925 |
| 64 | Navigational Information Personnel | $115,660.02 | $192,301 |
| 65 | Chemist | $114,912.01 | $270,400 |
| 66 | Accountant | $114,553.41 | $282,080 |
| 67 | Food Technologist | $114,335.09 | $163,900 |
| 68 | Plant Pathologist | $114,085.25 | $207,800 |
| 69 | Civil Rights Analyst | $113,979.89 | $162,500 |
| 70 | Labor-Management Relations Examiner | $113,875.28 | $161,900 |
| 71 | Trade Specialist | $113,843.20 | $163,900 |
| 72 | Environmental Engineer | $113,467.57 | $206,525 |
| 73 | Design Patent Examier | $113,459.88 | $170,378 |
| 74 | Health Insurance Administrator | $113,201.84 | $167,400 |
| 75 | Environmental Protection Specialist | $113,064.17 | $186,898 |
| 76 | Intaglio Press Operator | $112,554.96 | $155,616 |
| 77 | Education Programmer | $112,506.84 | $199,700 |
| 78 | Physiologist | $112,293.28 | $243,595 |
| 79 | Industrial Specialist | $112,104.18 | $194,500 |
| 80 | Architect | $111,974.66 | $197,000 |
| 81 | Geneticist | $111,941.18 | $267,800 |
| 82 | Podiatrist | $111,816.35 | $176,853 |
| 83 | Animal Scientist | $111,728.84 | $174,612 |
| 84 | Information Technology Manager | $111,107.05 | $278,771 |
| 85 | Insurance Examiner | $110,917.25 | $162,665 |
| 86 | Auditor | $110,604.14 | $269,600 |
| 87 | Electrical Engineer | $110,571.63 | $209,050 |
| 88 | Aircraft Operator | $110,533.48 | $186,617 |
| 89 | Microbiologist | $109,754.61 | $260,100 |
| 90 | Mechanical Engineer | $109,411.90 | $188,000 |
| 91 | Forest Products Technology Personnel | $108,798.52 | $155,073 |
| 92 | Highway Safety Personnel | $108,276.75 | $161,900 |
| 93 | Letterpress Operator | $108,182.09 | $146,339 |
| 94 | Petroleum Engineer | $107,932.87 | $190,639 |
| 95 | Workforce Development Personnel | $107,882.60 | $187,000 |
| 96 | Entomology | $107,312.63 | $201,086 |
| 97 | Public Health Educator | $107,222.43 | $161,900 |
| 98 | Equal Employment Opportunity Personnel | $106,919.58 | $234,700 |
| 99 | Safety Engineer | $106,869.68 | $187,000 |
| 100 | Optometrist | $106,629.81 | $181,445 |
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.