Chemistry federal employee pay and staffing
This page shows how large the Chemistry 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 Chemistry occupation series had 5,165 employees with an average salary of $140,120.
5,165 employees in this occupation series
$140,120 average pay
Physical Sciences Group occupation family
Food and Drug 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
Chemistry is reported under the Physical Sciences Group family in the latest OPM summary.
Agencies that employ the most Chemistry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food and Drug Administration | Department of Health and Human Services | 1,188 | $173,843,997 | $146,333 | 23.0% |
| Environmental Protection Agency | Independent or mixed | 422 | $55,965,851 | $132,621 | 8.2% |
| Drug Enforcement Administration | Department of Justice | 333 | $45,966,545 | $138,038 | 6.4% |
| National Institutes of Health | Department of Health and Human Services | 286 | $52,634,658 | $184,037 | 5.5% |
| United States Army Futures Command | Department of Defense | 258 | $40,507,672 | $157,006 | 5.0% |
| National Institute of Standards and Technology | Department of Commerce | 228 | $34,934,240 | $153,220 | 4.4% |
| Agricultural Research Service | Department of Agriculture | 177 | $24,763,537 | $139,907 | 3.4% |
| Customs and Border Protection | Department of Homeland Security | 168 | $20,937,962 | $124,631 | 3.3% |
| Naval Sea Systems Command | Department of Defense | 144 | $19,882,357 | $138,072 | 2.8% |
| Air Force Materiel Command | Department of Defense | 134 | $17,654,798 | $131,752 | 2.6% |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Department of Health and Human Services | 134 | $16,918,668 | $126,259 | 2.6% |
| Geological Survey | Department of the Interior | 114 | $12,554,051 | $110,123 | 2.2% |
| U.s. Army Corps of Engineers | Department of Defense | 108 | $12,203,976 | $113,000 | 2.1% |
| Office of Naval Research | Department of Defense | 95 | $15,457,141 | $162,707 | 1.8% |
| Naval Air Systems Command | Department of Defense | 58 | $7,528,162 | $129,796 | 1.1% |
| Naval Medical Command | Department of Defense | 51 | $4,749,721 | $93,132 | 1.0% |
| Food Safety and Inspection Service | Department of Agriculture | 50 | $6,052,242 | $121,045 | 1.0% |
| Defense Logistics Agency | Department of Defense | 40 | $4,852,305 | $121,308 | 0.8% |
| Defense Health Agency | Department of Defense | 39 | $4,924,176 | $126,261 | 0.8% |
| Federal Bureau of Investigation | Department of Justice | 37 | $5,865,374 | $158,524 | 0.7% |
| U.s. Army Criminal Investigation Command | Department of Defense | 35 | $4,513,425 | $128,955 | 0.7% |
| "U.s. Pacific Fleet, Commander in Chief" | Department of Defense | 32 | $3,230,084 | $100,940 | 0.6% |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Department of Commerce | 31 | $4,071,841 | $131,350 | 0.6% |
| United States Fleet Forces Command | Department of Defense | 31 | $3,458,373 | $111,560 | 0.6% |
| Bureau of Engraving and Printing | Department of the Treasury | 26 | $3,834,188 | $147,469 | 0.5% |
Common pay plans for Chemistry
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 | 2,874 | $134,114 | 55.6% |
| ZP | 259 | $150,603 | 5.0% |
| RG | 242 | $148,337 | 4.7% |
| DB | 210 | $152,663 | 4.1% |
| AD | 173 | $180,934 | 3.3% |
| ND | 144 | $138,072 | 2.8% |
| NP | 95 | $162,707 | 1.8% |
| RF | 87 | $235,033 | 1.7% |
| NH | 67 | $111,511 | 1.3% |
| DR | 67 | $151,993 | 1.3% |
| DP | 58 | $129,796 | 1.1% |
| EH | 13 | $84,342 | 0.3% |
Occupation totals come from the latest OPM FedScope Employment Summary Data (March 2025).