Top 100 Federal Occupations in 2004

This table shows the top 100 most well-paid occupations in the federal government in 2004, ranked by average pay. In 2004, the number one most well-paid job was "Administrative Law Judge," with an average yearly pay of $137,696. The runner-up job, "Patent Attorney," follows with an average of $134,658, which is a 2.21% decrease.

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Rank	Occupation Title	Average Pay	Highest Paid Individual
1	Administrative Law Judge	$137,695.72	$145,600
2	Patent Attorney	$134,658.45	$165,628
3	Patent Administrator	$129,337.95	$165,568
4	Welding Engineer	$116,939.00	$116,939
5	Astronomy and Space Scientist	$113,959.83	$190,225
6	Metallurgist	$112,416.67	$145,600
7	Patent Classifying	$111,883.16	$130,305
8	Nuclear Engineer	$111,626.10	$196,560
9	Program Manager	$111,518.76	$230,000
10	General Attorney	$111,131.86	$248,185
11	Air Traffic Controller	$110,458.84	$161,214
12	Nurse Anesthetist (title 38)	$110,365.68	$129,050
13	Sculptural Engraver	$107,939.00	$107,939
14	Patent Adviser	$107,213.50	$124,920
15	Personnel Staffer	$106,961.44	$145,600
16	Physicist	$106,916.31	$195,000
17	Medical Officer	$106,762.35	$235,000
18	General Fish and Wildlife Administrator	$106,318.31	$145,600
19	Siderographic Transferring Employee	$105,962.00	$118,090
20	Chief Engineer	$104,386.04	$130,221
21	Foreign Agricultural Affairs Personnel	$104,188.08	$145,600
22	Bank Note Engraver	$104,143.58	$124,065
23	Ceramic Engineer	$104,084.59	$145,600
24	Computer Scientist	$102,211.59	$181,923
25	Mathematician	$101,720.85	$145,635
26	General Engineer	$101,008.14	$196,560
27	Design Patent Examier	$100,403.02	$130,305
28	Music Specialist	$99,903.00	$102,253
29	Financial Manager	$99,267.67	$189,810
30	Health System Administrator	$98,753.38	$150,600
31	Mediator	$98,732.57	$145,600
32	Education Researcher	$97,670.32	$136,900
33	Operations Researcher	$97,418.87	$165,644
34	Aerospace Engineer	$97,387.00	$172,400
35	Pharmacologist	$97,272.30	$175,700
36	Labor Relations Personnel	$97,097.00	$145,600
37	Air Safety Investigator	$96,526.76	$151,408
38	Materials Engineer	$96,124.27	$145,600
39	Zoologist	$95,786.48	$145,600
40	Actuary	$95,117.48	$174,720
41	Geophysicist	$95,066.98	$145,600
42	Insurance Examiner	$94,977.56	$130,305
43	Health Physicist	$94,844.41	$147,150
44	Naval Architect	$94,661.67	$126,808
45	Electronics Engineer	$93,959.03	$168,000
46	Computer Engineer	$93,323.33	$175,580
47	General Physical Scientist	$93,120.82	$174,720
48	Financial Institution Examiner	$92,831.24	$204,069
49	Ship Surveyer	$92,211.04	$120,033
50	Toxicologist	$92,204.28	$147,711
51	Education Programmer	$91,875.01	$175,700
52	Oceanographer	$91,347.03	$145,600
53	Chemical Engineer	$91,140.45	$145,255
54	Dental Officer	$91,105.32	$225,000
55	Aviation Safety Personnel	$90,982.78	$149,473
56	Mathematical Statistician	$90,908.40	$189,671
57	International Relations Personnel	$90,847.40	$145,600
58	Plant Physiologist	$90,834.13	$156,004
59	Tax Law Specialist	$90,779.73	$186,300
60	Fire Protection Engineer	$90,417.91	$130,305
61	Bank Note Designer	$90,061.60	$123,841
62	Physiologist	$89,824.32	$200,000
63	Sociologist	$89,645.25	$136,542
64	Civil Rights Analyst	$89,488.57	$140,000
65	Transportation Industry Analyst	$88,811.99	$145,600
66	Credit Union Examiner	$88,806.63	$201,013
67	Hearings and Appeals Personnel	$88,411.89	$136,935
68	Position Classification	$88,203.00	$93,762
69	Intaglio Press Operator	$88,027.67	$120,212
70	Economist	$87,989.18	$190,080
71	Electrical Engineer	$87,789.18	$174,994
72	Environmental Engineer	$87,707.62	$145,600
73	Industrial Engineer	$87,513.15	$140,731
74	Clothing Designer	$87,442.50	$98,561
75	Safety Engineer	$87,292.99	$136,928
76	Employee Relations Personnel	$86,981.36	$132,596
77	Animal Scientist	$86,776.34	$193,177
78	Labor-Management Relations Examiner	$86,760.55	$142,241
79	Highway Safety Personnel	$86,460.53	$120,642
80	Home Economics Employee	$86,149.83	$93,742
81	Mechanical Engineer	$85,621.05	$156,491
82	Industrial Specialist	$85,613.04	$139,204
83	Estate Tax Examiner	$85,414.00	$85,414
84	Photoengraver	$85,189.76	$106,748
85	Patent Examiner	$85,142.75	$130,305
86	Geodesist	$85,094.35	$140,569
87	Chemist	$85,022.03	$224,500
88	Transportation Specialist	$84,441.75	$160,600
89	Pharmacist	$84,244.88	$157,315
90	Geneticist	$84,084.36	$190,367
91	Food Technologist	$83,983.02	$172,293
92	Environmental Protection Specialist	$83,725.15	$148,879
93	Accountant	$83,281.57	$201,118
94	Architect	$83,169.54	$146,600
95	Public Health Program Specialist	$83,138.15	$167,493
96	Geologist	$83,069.36	$145,600
97	Optometrist	$82,870.92	$145,600
98	Financial Analyst	$82,864.37	$185,813
99	Community Planner	$82,780.07	$145,600
100	Employee Development Personnel	$82,690.26	$128,103

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.