Astronomy and Space Science federal employee pay and staffing
This page shows how large the Astronomy and Space Science series is across government, what the average pay looks like, and which agencies employ the biggest share of people in this occupation.
What this page helps you check
Use this page when you want to see where a federal occupation is concentrated, which agencies employ the most people in it, and what the average pay looks like across government.
Occupation family
Astronomy and Space Science is reported under the Physical Sciences Group family in the latest OPM summary.
Agencies that employ the most Astronomy and Space Science staff
These are the agencies with the biggest reported headcount in this occupation series.
| Agency | Department | Employees | Total salary expense | Average pay | Share of occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goddard Space Flight Center | Independent or mixed | 225 | $39,460,229 | $175,379 | 45.5% |
| United States Fleet Forces Command | Department of Defense | 37 | $4,705,193 | $127,167 | 7.5% |
| Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center | Independent or mixed | 31 | $4,703,806 | $151,736 | 6.3% |
| Office of Naval Research | Department of Defense | 27 | $4,448,376 | $164,755 | 5.5% |
| Ames Research Center | Independent or mixed | 26 | $5,030,376 | $193,476 | 5.3% |
| Smithsonian Institution (Except Units Administered Under Separate Boards of Trustees) | Independent or mixed | 20 | $4,106,980 | $205,349 | 4.0% |
| George C. Marshall Space Flight Center | Independent or mixed | 12 | $1,774,368 | $147,864 | 2.4% |
| National Science Foundation | Independent or mixed | 12 | $2,424,840 | $202,070 | 2.4% |
Common pay plans for Astronomy and Space Science
This shows the pay plans most commonly attached to this occupation series in the latest OPM summary.
| Pay plan | Employees | Average pay | Share of occupation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS | 331 | $168,199 | 67.0% |
| NP | 27 | $164,755 | 5.5% |
| SL | 20 | $205,349 | 4.0% |
| AD | 12 | $202,070 | 2.4% |
Occupation totals come from the latest OPM FedScope Employment Summary Data (March 2025).