Chaplain federal employee pay and staffing
This page shows how large the Chaplain series is across government, what the average pay looks like, and which agencies employ the biggest share of people in this occupation.
March 2025 workforce snapshot. The Chaplain occupation series had 1,323 employees with an average salary of $99,964.
1,323 employees in this occupation series
$99,964 average pay
Miscellaneous Occupations Group occupation family
Veterans Health Administration largest agency for 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
Chaplain is reported under the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family in the latest OPM summary.
Agencies that employ the most Chaplain 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veterans Health Administration | Department of Veterans Affairs | 910 | $86,328,721 | $94,867 | 68.8% |
| Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System | Department of Justice | 249 | $28,976,460 | $116,371 | 18.8% |
| Army National Guard Units | Department of Defense | 76 | $7,471,459 | $98,309 | 5.7% |
| Air National Guard Units | Department of Defense | 32 | $3,202,368 | $100,074 | 2.4% |
| Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response | Department of Health and Human Services | 12 | $1,156,260 | $96,355 | 0.9% |
Common pay plans for Chaplain
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 | 1,163 | $105,366 | 87.9% |
| AD | 116 | $39,608 | 8.8% |
Occupation totals come from the latest OPM FedScope Employment Summary Data (March 2025).