Economist federal employee pay and staffing
This page shows how large the Economist 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 Economist occupation series had 4,888 employees with an average salary of $151,094.
4,888 employees in this occupation series
$151,094 average pay
"Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group" occupation family
Bureau of Labor Statistics 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
Economist is reported under the "Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group" family in the latest OPM summary.
Agencies that employ the most Economist 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Labor Statistics | Department of Labor | 1,156 | $143,921,475 | $124,500 | 23.6% |
| Bureau of Economic Analysis | Department of Commerce | 272 | $41,355,898 | $152,044 | 5.6% |
| Departmental Offices | Department of the Treasury | 219 | $37,310,342 | $170,367 | 4.5% |
| Internal Revenue Service | Department of the Treasury | 218 | $32,642,723 | $149,737 | 4.5% |
| Economic Research Service | Department of Agriculture | 195 | $28,861,911 | $148,010 | 4.0% |
| U.s. Army Corps of Engineers | Department of Defense | 163 | $19,558,372 | $119,990 | 3.3% |
| Department of Energy | Department of Energy | 125 | $18,573,769 | $148,590 | 2.6% |
| U.s. Census Bureau | Department of Commerce | 124 | $17,900,978 | $144,363 | 2.5% |
| Securities and Exchange Commission | Independent or mixed | 115 | $27,620,891 | $240,182 | 2.4% |
| Office of the Comptroller of the Currency | Department of the Treasury | 107 | $24,918,656 | $232,885 | 2.2% |
| Environmental Protection Agency | Independent or mixed | 101 | $15,810,877 | $156,543 | 2.1% |
| Federal Trade Commission | Independent or mixed | 78 | $14,592,504 | $187,083 | 1.6% |
| Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation | Independent or mixed | 70 | $13,438,034 | $191,972 | 1.4% |
| U.s. International Trade Commission | Independent or mixed | 69 | $10,568,633 | $153,169 | 1.4% |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Department of Commerce | 65 | $9,882,565 | $152,039 | 1.3% |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Department of Health and Human Services | 57 | $8,210,809 | $144,049 | 1.2% |
| Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | Department of Energy | 50 | $5,346,531 | $106,931 | 1.0% |
| Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | Department of Health and Human Services | 48 | $7,132,806 | $148,600 | 1.0% |
| Federal Housing Finance Agency | Independent or mixed | 45 | $9,535,701 | $211,904 | 0.9% |
| "Offices, Boards and Divisions" | Department of Justice | 43 | $8,203,282 | $190,774 | 0.9% |
| Citizenship and Immigration Services | Department of Homeland Security | 41 | $6,680,745 | $162,945 | 0.8% |
| Federal Communications Commission | Independent or mixed | 41 | $7,381,654 | $180,040 | 0.8% |
| Food and Drug Administration | Department of Health and Human Services | 36 | $5,713,529 | $158,709 | 0.7% |
| Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection | Independent or mixed | 34 | $7,258,301 | $213,479 | 0.7% |
| Office of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | Department of Housing and Urban Development | 34 | $5,055,009 | $148,677 | 0.7% |
Common pay plans for Economist
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 | 2,924 | $139,617 | 59.8% |
| ZP | 324 | $149,584 | 6.6% |
| SK | 115 | $240,182 | 2.4% |
| NB | 107 | $232,885 | 2.2% |
| CG | 70 | $191,972 | 1.4% |
| ES | 48 | $214,707 | 1.0% |
| EL | 45 | $211,904 | 0.9% |
| CN | 34 | $213,479 | 0.7% |
| CT | 20 | $243,715 | 0.4% |
| FV | 17 | $181,626 | 0.3% |
| OR | 12 | $176,790 | 0.2% |
| AD | 11 | $102,642 | 0.2% |
Occupation totals come from the latest OPM FedScope Employment Summary Data (March 2025).