Top 100 Federal Occupations in 2021
This table shows the top 100 most well-paid occupations in the federal government in 2021, ranked by average pay. In 2021, the number one most well-paid job was "Medical Officer," with an average yearly pay of $255,213. The runner-up job, "Securities Compliance Examining," follows with an average of $205,652, which is a 19.42% decrease.
Rank | Occupation Title | Average Pay | Highest Paid Individual |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Medical Officer | $255,212.58 | $456,028 |
2 | Securities Compliance Examiner | $205,651.96 | $259,300 |
3 | Dental Officer | $192,701.65 | $404,865 |
4 | Administrative Law Judge | $181,144.47 | $183,300 |
5 | Patent Administrator | $177,885.29 | $203,858 |
6 | $177,772.38 | $226,400 | |
7 | Patent Attorney | $176,007.06 | $199,300 |
8 | Technical Systems Program Manager | $169,191.74 | $228,656 |
9 | Chief Engineer | $162,282.88 | $177,429 |
10 | Podiatrist | $162,210.02 | $288,344 |
11 | Patent Classifying | $157,634.39 | $172,719 |
12 | Program Manager | $156,884.50 | $350,713 |
13 | Metallurgist | $156,871.92 | $199,300 |
14 | Astronomy and Space Scientist | $152,671.36 | $198,022 |
15 | General Mathematican/Statistician | $151,970.09 | $258,100 |
16 | General Attorney | $150,294.83 | $296,339 |
17 | Physicist | $149,478.19 | $256,797 |
18 | Financial Manager | $149,089.81 | $321,426 |
19 | Pharmacologist | $147,439.24 | $312,912 |
20 | Mathematician | $146,801.25 | $275,800 |
21 | Fish and Wildlife Administrator | $145,607.21 | $239,160 |
22 | Financial Analyst | $142,876.88 | $273,400 |
23 | Patent Adviser | $142,289.83 | $160,036 |
24 | Actuarial Scientist | $141,879.45 | $204,300 |
25 | Mediator | $141,556.01 | $192,800 |
26 | Health System Administrator | $140,905.20 | $220,008 |
27 | Air Safety Investigator | $139,908.96 | $172,500 |
28 | Computer Scientist | $139,069.66 | $244,907 |
29 | Aerospace Engineer | $136,617.03 | $210,781 |
30 | Financial Institution Examiner | $136,500.69 | $296,339 |
31 | Electronics Engineer | $136,339.38 | $204,300 |
32 | Patent Examiner | $136,134.42 | $186,800 |
33 | Computer Engineer | $135,858.20 | $209,098 |
34 | Naval Architect | $135,639.27 | $173,500 |
35 | Air Traffic Controller | $135,628.81 | $226,579 |
36 | Education Researcher | $135,066.81 | $173,274 |
37 | General Engineer | $134,715.96 | $255,800 |
38 | Transportation Industry Analyst | $134,142.64 | $174,450 |
39 | Operations Researcher | $133,847.89 | $288,750 |
40 | Zoologist | $133,623.31 | $182,787 |
41 | Employee Benefits Lawyer | $133,573.25 | $199,300 |
42 | Oceanographer | $132,556.03 | $199,300 |
43 | Foreign Affairs Personnel | $132,220.61 | $221,400 |
44 | Pharmacist | $131,752.50 | $231,640 |
45 | Foreign Agricultural Affairs Personnel | $131,737.80 | $199,187 |
46 | Economist | $131,693.24 | $288,610 |
47 | Cryptanalyst | $131,619.44 | $174,732 |
48 | $131,504.00 | $131,604 | |
49 | Materials Engineer | $131,441.84 | $194,934 |
50 | Mathematical Statistician | $131,372.59 | $298,117 |
51 | Document Analyst | $131,351.05 | $172,500 |
52 | Industrial Specialist | $131,236.40 | $206,610 |
53 | International Relations Personnel | $130,899.51 | $199,300 |
54 | Toxicologist | $130,809.98 | $250,500 |
55 | Clothing Designer | $130,578.00 | $145,490 |
56 | International Cooperation Personnel | $130,460.80 | $174,468 |
57 | Food Technologist | $130,000.72 | $232,000 |
58 | Geodesist | $129,904.55 | $192,922 |
59 | Fire Protection Engineer | $129,726.19 | $181,325 |
60 | Labor-Management Relations Examiner | $128,506.27 | $179,500 |
61 | Health Physicist | $128,168.27 | $187,710 |
62 | Chemical Engineer | $128,167.86 | $250,204 |
63 | General Physical Scientist | $127,766.58 | $266,067 |
64 | Navigational Information Personnel | $127,463.67 | $212,326 |
65 | Aviation Safety Personnel | $126,937.87 | $211,615 |
66 | Chemist | $126,893.11 | $278,250 |
67 | Geophysicist | $126,745.07 | $199,300 |
68 | $126,699.74 | $144,000 | |
69 | Plant Physiologist | $126,560.89 | $199,300 |
70 | Aircraft Operator | $126,029.14 | $211,212 |
71 | Health Insurance Administrator | $125,684.48 | $174,000 |
72 | Intaglio Press Operator | $125,366.23 | $176,177 |
73 | Trade Specialist | $123,737.60 | $177,500 |
74 | Accountant | $123,349.82 | $278,216 |
75 | Environmental Engineer | $122,851.80 | $197,514 |
76 | Electrical Engineer | $122,819.20 | $233,462 |
77 | Information Technology Manager | $122,477.13 | $312,821 |
78 | Tax Law Specialist | $122,142.63 | $181,500 |
79 | Electrical Power Controller | $121,949.12 | $192,943 |
80 | Marine Survey Technician | $121,874.46 | $173,000 |
81 | Auditor | $121,717.54 | $257,100 |
82 | Electrolytic Intaglio Platemaker | $121,587.25 | $164,822 |
83 | Microbiologist | $121,129.66 | $272,538 |
84 | Petroleum Engineer | $120,954.23 | $220,858 |
85 | Electronic Integrated Systems Mechanic | $120,850.89 | $187,583 |
86 | Insurance Examiner | $120,673.88 | $164,645 |
87 | Letterpress Operator | $120,543.65 | $166,331 |
88 | Industrial Engineer | $120,472.71 | $212,148 |
89 | Architect | $120,230.23 | $220,858 |
90 | Geneticist | $119,721.16 | $245,000 |
91 | Forest Products Technology Personnel | $119,566.88 | $164,233 |
92 | Education Programmer | $119,360.37 | $203,500 |
93 | Mechanical Engineer | $119,142.52 | $197,606 |
94 | Optometrist | $118,908.16 | $179,000 |
95 | Civil Rights Analyst | $118,818.33 | $181,048 |
96 | Animal Scientist | $118,686.06 | $175,750 |
97 | Theater Specialist | $118,516.00 | $118,516 |
98 | Import Compliance Personnel | $117,803.00 | $147,034 |
99 | Plant Pathologist | $117,415.46 | $199,300 |
100 | Workforce Researcher and Analyst | $117,336.16 | $172,500 |
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.