FederalPay.org
FederalPay.org
Top 100 Federal Occupations in 2016
This table shows the top 100 most well-paid occupations in the federal government in 2016, ranked by average pay. In 2016, the number one most well-paid job was "Medical Officer," with an average yearly pay of $214,968. The runner-up job, "Securities Compliance Examining," follows with an average of $172,012, which is a 19.98% decrease.
| Rank | Occupation Title | Average Pay | Highest Paid Individual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Officer | $214,968.45 | $403,849 |
| 2 | Securities Compliance Examiner | $172,012.08 | $242,900 |
| 3 | Patent Attorney | $171,273.73 | $204,310 |
| 4 | Patent Administrator | $164,269.88 | $185,100 |
| 5 | Dental Officer | $162,849.23 | $337,925 |
| 6 | Administrative Law Judge | $161,097.59 | $184,799 |
| 7 | Nurse Anesthetist (title 38) | $160,782.27 | $205,700 |
| 8 | General Mathematican/Statistician | $152,346.44 | $239,892 |
| 9 | Technical Systems Program Manager | $148,028.66 | $196,642 |
| 10 | Chief Engineer | $146,854.80 | $162,515 |
| 11 | Astronomy and Space Scientist | $142,188.22 | $176,274 |
| 12 | Metallurgist | $141,203.67 | $185,150 |
| 13 | Program Manager | $138,133.24 | $325,000 |
| 14 | General Attorney | $137,387.20 | $282,928 |
| 15 | Nuclear Engineer | $135,992.74 | $249,885 |
| 16 | Mathematician | $135,461.11 | $252,274 |
| 17 | Physicist | $134,381.73 | $260,000 |
| 18 | Patent Classifying | $134,043.35 | $168,235 |
| 19 | Patent Adviser | $133,038.45 | $160,300 |
| 20 | Fish and Wildlife Administrator | $132,599.09 | $185,100 |
| 21 | Financial Manager | $131,614.65 | $257,700 |
| 22 | Financial Analyst | $129,804.14 | $277,192 |
| 23 | Naval Architect | $128,953.29 | $160,300 |
| 24 | Financial Institution Examiner | $127,447.88 | $282,928 |
| 25 | General Engineer | $127,215.76 | $320,055 |
| 26 | Health System Administrator | $127,102.93 | $195,100 |
| 27 | Aerospace Engineer | $126,127.00 | $189,759 |
| 28 | Air Traffic Controller | $125,521.86 | $198,979 |
| 29 | Computer Scientist | $125,398.16 | $220,000 |
| 30 | Pharmacologist | $125,010.40 | $275,000 |
| 31 | Zoologist | $124,394.95 | $170,017 |
| 32 | Electronics Engineer | $124,168.59 | $204,140 |
| 33 | Actuarial Scientist | $123,959.22 | $185,100 |
| 34 | Computer Engineer | $123,837.79 | $199,869 |
| 35 | Mediator | $123,175.18 | $172,893 |
| 36 | Photographic Technology | $122,940.58 | $165,354 |
| 37 | Foreign Affairs Personnel | $122,414.59 | $199,700 |
| 38 | Foreign Agricultural Affairs Personnel | $120,897.74 | $185,100 |
| 39 | Materials Engineer | $120,675.51 | $171,400 |
| 40 | Cryptanalyst | $120,205.17 | $158,736 |
| 41 | Plant Physiologist | $119,448.97 | $202,305 |
| 42 | Geodesist | $118,578.25 | $160,300 |
| 43 | General Physical Scientist | $118,403.52 | $249,885 |
| 44 | Patent Examiner | $118,177.13 | $177,502 |
| 45 | Transportation Industry Analyst | $118,140.46 | $160,300 |
| 46 | Air Safety Investigator | $118,017.70 | $160,550 |
| 47 | Health Physicist | $117,849.55 | $171,009 |
| 48 | Toxicologist | $117,540.58 | $250,000 |
| 49 | Operations Researcher | $117,440.28 | $188,936 |
| 50 | Oceanographer | $117,389.25 | $185,100 |
| 51 | Economist | $117,316.34 | $265,000 |
| 52 | Employee Benefits Lawyer | $116,667.13 | $185,100 |
| 53 | Geophysicist | $116,243.95 | $183,157 |
| 54 | Fire Protection Engineer | $116,059.56 | $164,231 |
| 55 | Chemical Engineer | $116,047.03 | $225,000 |
| 56 | Mathematical Statistician | $116,016.65 | $267,986 |
| 57 | Document Analyst | $115,760.01 | $157,971 |
| 58 | Credit Union Examiner | $115,273.92 | $260,000 |
| 59 | Pharmacist | $115,210.47 | $225,000 |
| 60 | Civil Rights Analyst | $115,094.33 | $160,300 |
| 61 | Education Researcher | $114,634.77 | $185,100 |
| 62 | Marine Survey Technician | $114,194.98 | $157,971 |
| 63 | Navigational Information Personnel | $114,115.97 | $179,296 |
| 64 | International Relations Personnel | $114,017.75 | $180,072 |
| 65 | Insurance Examiner | $113,731.63 | $160,300 |
| 66 | International Cooperation Personnel | $113,662.83 | $160,300 |
| 67 | Aviation Safety Personnel | $113,593.69 | $187,800 |
| 68 | Industrial Specialist | $112,944.17 | $178,676 |
| 69 | Food Technologist | $112,927.94 | $160,300 |
| 70 | Labor-Management Relations Examiner | $112,566.61 | $160,300 |
| 71 | Environmental Engineer | $111,557.48 | $204,000 |
| 72 | Environmental Protection Specialist | $111,514.83 | $185,100 |
| 73 | Chemist | $111,329.20 | $270,000 |
| 74 | Plant Pathologist | $111,285.69 | $205,700 |
| 75 | Accountant | $110,986.13 | $273,563 |
| 76 | Physiologist | $110,662.24 | $250,000 |
| 77 | Geneticist | $110,114.00 | $260,000 |
| 78 | Podiatrist | $109,321.67 | $172,410 |
| 79 | $109,238.00 | $109,238 | |
| 80 | Intaglio Press Operator | $109,212.10 | $150,617 |
| 81 | Architect | $109,114.58 | $195,095 |
| 82 | Health Insurance Administrator | $109,109.30 | $161,700 |
| 83 | Design Patent Examier | $108,891.64 | $168,479 |
| 84 | Electrical Engineer | $108,630.33 | $205,700 |
| 85 | Forest Products Technology Personnel | $108,426.05 | $153,793 |
| 86 | Education Programmer | $108,306.11 | $199,700 |
| 87 | Mechanical Engineer | $107,727.35 | $185,600 |
| 88 | $107,488.51 | $153,249 | |
| 89 | Information Technology Manager | $107,363.01 | $271,249 |
| 90 | Aircraft Operator | $107,175.24 | $183,010 |
| 91 | Animal Scientist | $106,925.83 | $169,526 |
| 92 | Trade Specialist | $106,754.57 | $162,410 |
| 93 | Microbiologist | $106,358.19 | $255,000 |
| 94 | Auditor | $106,301.01 | $265,000 |
| 95 | Highway Safety Personnel | $106,155.22 | $160,300 |
| 96 | Letterpress Operator | $105,727.49 | $142,769 |
| 97 | Public Health Educator | $105,655.60 | $160,300 |
| 98 | Criminal Investigator | $105,320.40 | $245,619 |
| 99 | Safety Engineer | $105,244.76 | $190,550 |
| 100 | Workforce Development Personnel | $105,081.91 | $185,091 |
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.