Top 100 Federal Occupations in 2015

This table shows the top 100 most well-paid occupations in the federal government in 2015, ranked by average pay. In 2015, the number one most well-paid job was "Medical Officer," with an average yearly pay of $206,180. The runner-up job, "Securities Compliance Examining," follows with an average of $176,189, which is a 14.55% decrease.

Download Table as CSV

Rank	Occupation Title	Average Pay	Highest Paid Individual
1	Medical Officer	$206,179.59	$400,000
2	Securities Compliance Examiner	$176,189.36	$240,700
3	Patent Attorney	$166,659.04	$210,500
4	Patent Administrator	$162,919.64	$183,300
5	Administrative Law Judge	$160,045.49	$168,700
6	Nurse Anesthetist (title 38)	$158,706.41	$203,700
7	Dental Officer	$156,440.00	$321,833
8	Technical Systems Program Manager	$146,315.22	$193,996
9	General Mathematican/Statistician	$144,268.23	$210,200
10	Chief Engineer	$141,903.30	$160,636
11	Astronomy and Space Scientist	$139,631.49	$183,300
12	Metallurgist	$138,035.28	$182,532
13	Patent Adviser	$136,614.91	$158,700
14	General Attorney	$135,943.24	$279,766
15	Program Manager	$135,594.30	$385,000
16	Nuclear Engineer	$133,283.03	$219,960
17	Mathematician	$132,846.68	$244,430
18	Fish and Wildlife Administrator	$131,714.07	$247,455
19	Physicist	$131,646.67	$250,000
20	Patent Classifying	$130,429.68	$160,727
21	Financial Manager	$129,109.68	$258,270
22	Foreign Affairs Personnel	$128,916.43	$185,800
23	Health System Administrator	$126,538.28	$183,300
24	Financial Analyst	$126,092.95	$269,394
25	Air Traffic Controller	$125,687.78	$192,651
26	General Engineer	$125,558.93	$316,850
27	Financial Institution Examiner	$125,504.27	$279,766
28	Computer Scientist	$125,058.81	$212,000
29	Aerospace Engineer	$124,390.55	$187,448
30	Pharmacologist	$123,540.59	$245,192
31	Foreign Agricultural Affairs Personnel	$123,315.93	$183,300
32	Photographic Technology	$123,153.27	$165,354
33	Electronics Engineer	$122,077.99	$187,987
34	Mediator	$122,033.53	$168,700
35	Zoologist	$121,864.76	$166,683
36	Computer Engineer	$121,394.46	$201,369
37	Actuarial Scientist	$121,346.44	$183,550
38	Transportation Industry Analyst	$118,067.70	$159,700
39	General Physical Scientist	$117,718.74	$240,300
40	Materials Engineer	$117,587.76	$168,700
41	Cryptanalyst	$117,515.71	$152,261
42	Plant Physiologist	$117,255.01	$192,671
43	Toxicologist	$117,122.06	$250,000
44	Oceanographer	$117,031.86	$183,300
45	Air Safety Investigator	$116,543.93	$158,700
46	Economist	$116,378.01	$257,500
47	Geophysicist	$116,341.94	$171,175
48	Naval Architect	$116,254.24	$158,700
49	Operations Researcher	$116,068.80	$187,058
50	Health Physicist	$116,038.16	$168,700
51	Geodesist	$115,582.65	$158,700
52	Mathematical Statistician	$115,220.95	$262,731
53	Fire Protection Engineer	$115,193.45	$161,413
54	Marine Survey Technician	$114,918.26	$151,799
55	Patent Examiner	$114,752.58	$175,829
56	Chemical Engineer	$114,328.49	$225,000
57	Employee Benefits Lawyer	$114,092.41	$183,300
58	Pharmacist	$113,962.96	$204,978
59	Civil Rights Analyst	$113,574.75	$162,950
60	Document Analyst	$113,384.56	$159,399
61	International Relations Personnel	$112,886.85	$181,716
62	Aviation Safety Personnel	$112,142.83	$185,800
63	Education Researcher	$112,094.29	$183,800
64	Insurance Examiner	$111,663.47	$158,700
65	Food Technologist	$111,662.17	$229,443
66	Sociologist	$111,651.29	$158,700
67	Physiologist	$111,648.08	$268,324
68	Environmental Engineer	$111,230.54	$201,980
69	International Cooperation Personnel	$110,951.71	$158,700
70	Credit Union Examiner	$110,930.64	$260,000
71	Labor-Management Relations Examiner	$110,344.36	$158,700
72	Environmental Protection Specialist	$109,706.84	$185,800
73	Chemist	$109,577.58	$268,324
74	Industrial Specialist	$108,751.93	$175,658
75	Plant Pathologist	$108,662.15	$202,526
76	Geneticist	$108,626.62	$250,000
77	Accountant	$108,563.92	$266,894
78	Forest Products Technology Personnel	$108,228.90	$152,230
79	Health Insurance Administrator	$108,012.20	$164,122
80	Aircraft Operator	$107,598.24	$179,798
81	Electrical Engineer	$107,330.68	$203,700
82	Podiatrist	$106,975.27	$170,623
83	Architect	$106,815.27	$202,636
84	Mechanical Engineer	$106,791.19	$183,300
85	Intaglio Press Operator	$106,571.84	$148,967
86	Trade Specialist	$106,548.61	$159,700
87	Clothing Designer	$106,450.67	$118,609
88	Education Programmer	$105,668.71	$199,700
89	Navigational Information Personnel	$105,257.39	$174,964
90	Information Technology Manager	$105,227.16	$264,171
91	Highway Safety Personnel	$105,048.16	$158,700
92	Animal Scientist	$104,937.37	$161,453
93	Safety Engineer	$104,852.67	$185,300
94	Auditor	$104,820.64	$262,500
95	Design Patent Examier	$104,820.47	$168,126
96	Customs and Border Protection Interdiction Agent	$104,783.77	$151,496
97	Public Health Program Specialist	$104,408.04	$204,000
98	Criminal Investigator	$104,316.75	$247,455
99	Electrolytic Intaglio Platemaker	$104,307.38	$135,071
100	Microbiologist	$104,301.71	$244,600

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.