FederalPay.org
Top 100 Federal Occupations in 2017
This table shows the top 100 most well-paid occupations in the federal government in 2017, ranked by average pay. In 2017, the number one most well-paid job was "Securities Compliance Examining," with an average yearly pay of $181,013. The runner-up job, "Patent Attorney," follows with an average of $170,079, which is a 6.04% decrease.
| Rank | Occupation Title | Average Pay | Highest Paid Individual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Securities Compliance Examiner | $181,013.05 | $244,184 |
| 2 | Patent Attorney | $170,078.62 | $190,444 |
| 3 | Nurse Anesthetist (title 38) | $167,817.78 | $207,800 |
| 4 | Administrative Law Judge | $163,112.65 | $183,425 |
| 5 | Patent Administrator | $161,308.19 | $187,148 |
| 6 | Technical Systems Program Manager | $153,430.34 | $199,548 |
| 7 | General Mathematican/Statistician | $153,213.81 | $241,600 |
| 8 | Chief Engineer | $150,802.80 | $165,164 |
| 9 | Astronomy and Space Scientist | $141,981.07 | $181,562 |
| 10 | Program Manager | $141,594.98 | $325,000 |
| 11 | Patent Classifying | $137,808.73 | $161,900 |
| 12 | Mathematician | $136,933.53 | $258,616 |
| 13 | Physicist | $136,591.40 | $270,400 |
| 14 | Patent Adviser | $136,010.67 | $161,900 |
| 15 | Financial Analyst | $135,750.01 | $286,345 |
| 16 | Naval Architect | $135,552.57 | $161,900 |
| 17 | Financial Manager | $134,670.97 | $280,500 |
| 18 | Fish and Wildlife Administrator | $134,259.06 | $187,000 |
| 19 | Health System Administrator | $130,791.48 | $225,398 |
| 20 | General Attorney | $130,515.48 | $287,774 |
| 21 | General Engineer | $129,820.34 | $240,100 |
| 22 | Aerospace Engineer | $128,757.00 | $193,840 |
| 23 | Pharmacologist | $128,532.82 | $248,699 |
| 24 | Actuarial Scientist | $128,524.49 | $187,000 |
| 25 | Zoologist | $127,874.93 | $173,417 |
| 26 | Financial Institution Examiner | $127,730.90 | $288,524 |
| 27 | Electronics Engineer | $126,745.93 | $192,879 |
| 28 | Medical Officer | $126,492.48 | $390,000 |
| 29 | Computer Engineer | $126,361.39 | $199,869 |
| 30 | Computer Scientist | $125,751.17 | $220,000 |
| 31 | Mediator | $125,411.46 | $172,100 |
| 32 | Cryptanalyst | $125,324.94 | $163,900 |
| 33 | Air Traffic Controller | $125,111.51 | $202,285 |
| 34 | Foreign Affairs Personnel | $125,054.89 | $207,800 |
| 35 | Education Researcher | $124,507.04 | $187,000 |
| 36 | Air Safety Investigator | $123,652.82 | $163,400 |
| 37 | Foreign Agricultural Affairs Personnel | $122,989.24 | $187,000 |
| 38 | Materials Engineer | $122,619.24 | $172,100 |
| 39 | Geodesist | $122,557.61 | $163,817 |
| 40 | Patent Examiner | $122,477.09 | $170,388 |
| 41 | Transportation Industry Analyst | $122,120.60 | $161,900 |
| 42 | Plant Physiologist | $121,661.62 | $207,800 |
| 43 | Employee Benefits Lawyer | $121,514.87 | $187,000 |
| 44 | Economist | $121,423.56 | $268,000 |
| 45 | Operations Researcher | $121,370.72 | $192,522 |
| 46 | General Physical Scientist | $121,243.13 | $245,670 |
| 47 | Credit Union Examiner | $121,196.65 | $279,000 |
| 48 | Metallurgist | $121,070.56 | $187,000 |
| 49 | International Cooperation Personnel | $120,920.97 | $161,900 |
| 50 | Fire Protection Engineer | $120,676.11 | $172,100 |
| 51 | Health Physicist | $120,350.15 | $172,100 |
| 52 | Oceanographer | $120,055.00 | $187,000 |
| 53 | International Relations Personnel | $120,012.43 | $187,000 |
| 54 | Toxicologist | $119,765.39 | $250,000 |
| 55 | Mathematical Statistician | $119,686.70 | $273,345 |
| 56 | Navigational Information Personnel | $118,184.03 | $192,301 |
| 57 | Pharmacist | $118,172.82 | $225,000 |
| 58 | Geophysicist | $117,702.23 | $187,500 |
| 59 | Chemical Engineer | $117,356.30 | $172,546 |
| 60 | Industrial Specialist | $117,142.38 | $187,000 |
| 61 | Marine Survey Technician | $116,697.59 | $161,900 |
| 62 | Aviation Safety Personnel | $116,576.47 | $190,165 |
| 63 | Document Analyst | $116,266.73 | $161,900 |
| 64 | Dental Officer | $115,751.84 | $337,925 |
| 65 | Civil Rights Analyst | $115,479.21 | $162,500 |
| 66 | Photographic Technology | $115,096.55 | $165,480 |
| 67 | Food Technologist | $114,228.63 | $163,900 |
| 68 | Labor-Management Relations Examiner | $113,909.02 | $161,900 |
| 69 | Plant Pathologist | $113,795.37 | $207,800 |
| 70 | Environmental Engineer | $113,701.67 | $206,525 |
| 71 | Environmental Protection Specialist | $113,352.75 | $186,898 |
| 72 | Trade Specialist | $113,350.60 | $163,900 |
| 73 | Accountant | $113,284.65 | $282,080 |
| 74 | Chemist | $113,095.73 | $270,400 |
| 75 | Health Insurance Administrator | $113,080.41 | $167,400 |
| 76 | Physiologist | $112,644.22 | $243,595 |
| 77 | Education Programmer | $112,588.42 | $199,700 |
| 78 | Intaglio Press Operator | $112,554.96 | $155,616 |
| 79 | Architect | $112,433.78 | $197,000 |
| 80 | Geneticist | $112,012.65 | $267,800 |
| 81 | Podiatrist | $111,709.33 | $176,853 |
| 82 | Animal Scientist | $111,629.18 | $174,612 |
| 83 | Insurance Examiner | $110,488.44 | $162,665 |
| 84 | Aircraft Operator | $110,472.26 | $186,617 |
| 85 | Electrical Engineer | $110,406.14 | $208,550 |
| 86 | Information Technology Manager | $109,669.11 | $278,771 |
| 87 | Microbiologist | $109,624.35 | $260,100 |
| 88 | Design Patent Examier | $109,577.19 | $161,900 |
| 89 | Mechanical Engineer | $108,922.12 | $188,000 |
| 90 | Forest Products Technology Personnel | $108,798.52 | $155,073 |
| 91 | Electronic Integrated Systems Mechanic | $108,550.84 | $167,336 |
| 92 | Auditor | $108,375.88 | $279,000 |
| 93 | Highway Safety Personnel | $108,265.39 | $161,900 |
| 94 | Letterpress Operator | $108,182.09 | $146,339 |
| 95 | Workforce Development Personnel | $108,080.31 | $187,000 |
| 96 | Instructional Systems Employee | $108,009.83 | $202,372 |
| 97 | Petroleum Engineer | $107,717.62 | $190,639 |
| 98 | Entomology | $107,144.28 | $201,086 |
| 99 | Safety Engineer | $107,112.65 | $187,000 |
| 100 | Public Health Educator | $106,674.77 | $161,900 |
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.