General Investigation federal employee pay and staffing
This page shows how large the General Investigation 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 General Investigation occupation series had 2,766 employees with an average salary of $115,787.
2,766 employees in this occupation series
$115,787 average pay
Investigation Group occupation family
Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency 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
General Investigation is reported under the Investigation Group family in the latest OPM summary.
Agencies that employ the most General Investigation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency | Department of Defense | 1,662 | $170,974,198 | $102,873 | 60.1% |
| Office of the Inspector General | Department of Defense | 136 | $20,776,208 | $152,766 | 4.9% |
| Occupational Safety and Health Administration | Department of Labor | 110 | $12,396,355 | $112,694 | 4.0% |
| U.s. Secret Service | Department of Homeland Security | 95 | $12,800,395 | $134,741 | 3.4% |
| Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service | Department of Agriculture | 61 | $7,130,285 | $116,890 | 2.2% |
| Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau | Department of the Treasury | 53 | $7,567,398 | $142,781 | 1.9% |
| Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection | Department of Veterans Affairs | 49 | $7,421,834 | $151,466 | 1.8% |
| Office of Inspector General | Department of Health and Human Services | 44 | $6,250,552 | $142,058 | 1.6% |
| Executive Office for U.s. Attorneys and the Offices of the U.s. Attorneys | Department of Justice | 33 | $4,182,486 | $126,742 | 1.2% |
| Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services | Department of Health and Human Services | 29 | $3,149,400 | $108,600 | 1.0% |
| Field Operating Offices of the Office of the Secretary of the Army | Department of Defense | 22 | $2,597,892 | $118,086 | 0.8% |
| Food and Nutrition Service | Department of Agriculture | 19 | $2,322,655 | $122,245 | 0.7% |
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | Department of Homeland Security | 12 | $1,555,488 | $129,624 | 0.4% |
| "Directorate for Administrations, Logistics, and Operations (Dalo)" | Department of Defense | 12 | $1,915,032 | $159,586 | 0.4% |
| Hqda Field Operating Agencies and Staff Support Agencies and Staff Support Agencies | Department of Defense | 12 | $1,346,988 | $112,249 | 0.4% |
| Office of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau | Department of Defense | 12 | $1,574,484 | $131,207 | 0.4% |
| Dhs Headquarters | Department of Homeland Security | 11 | $1,390,081 | $126,371 | 0.4% |
Common pay plans for General Investigation
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GG | 1,662 | $102,873 | 60.1% |
| GS | 698 | $132,983 | 25.2% |
| IC | 12 | $129,624 | 0.4% |
Occupation totals come from the latest OPM FedScope Employment Summary Data (March 2025).