National Institutes of Health employee pay and staffing
This page shows how many people were reported under National Institutes of Health in the latest OPM workforce summary, what the average pay looks like, and which occupations make up the largest share of the agency.
What this page helps you check
Use this page when you want a quick feel for the size of National Institutes of Health, where its workforce is concentrated, and which occupations account for the largest share of employees.
Parent organization
This agency sits under the Department of Health and Human Services.
Largest occupations in National Institutes of Health
These occupation series account for the biggest share of employees reported under National Institutes of Health.
| Occupation | Employees | Average pay | Share of agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Health Science | 4,427 | $161,514 | 20.8% |
| General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences | 2,931 | $142,795 | 13.8% |
| Medical Officer | 1,436 | $197,004 | 6.7% |
| Miscellaneous Administration and Program | 1,418 | $112,657 | 6.7% |
| Management and Program Analysis | 1,224 | $135,758 | 5.7% |
| Nurse | 1,091 | $130,271 | 5.1% |
| Information Technology Management | 920 | $153,757 | 4.3% |
| Administrative Officer | 753 | $140,310 | 3.5% |
| Grants Management | 557 | $136,855 | 2.6% |
| Contracting | 507 | $137,364 | 2.4% |
| Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant | 288 | $66,654 | 1.4% |
| Chemistry | 286 | $184,037 | 1.3% |
| Human Resources Management | 260 | $140,177 | 1.2% |
| Social Science | 220 | $156,172 | 1.0% |
| Budget Analysis | 206 | $145,858 | 1.0% |
| Medical Technologist | 164 | $108,351 | 0.8% |
| Microbiology | 158 | $177,513 | 0.7% |
| Technical Information Services | 146 | $132,654 | 0.7% |
| General Arts and Information | 135 | $149,239 | 0.6% |
| Computer Science | 134 | $183,282 | 0.6% |
Where National Institutes of Health employees are based
This list shows the biggest duty-station states reported for National Institutes of Health in the latest OPM summary.
| State | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 18,409 | $145,005 |
| North Carolina | 796 | $129,480 |
| Virginia | 399 | $143,673 |
| Montana | 235 | $112,997 |
| District of Columbia | 154 | $160,849 |
| Florida | 118 | $136,202 |
| California | 109 | $168,455 |
| Pennsylvania | 101 | $145,723 |
| Texas | 90 | $134,486 |
| Georgia | 83 | $131,728 |
Agency totals and duty-location summaries come from the latest OPM FedScope Employment Summary Data (March 2025).