Secretary federal employee pay and staffing
This page shows how large the Secretary 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
Secretary is reported under the "General Administrative, Clerical, and Office Services Group" family in the latest OPM summary.
Agencies that employ the most Secretary 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 | 1,101 | $64,687,253 | $58,753 | 14.7% |
| Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System | Department of Justice | 809 | $51,707,319 | $63,915 | 10.8% |
| Internal Revenue Service | Department of the Treasury | 500 | $33,909,411 | $67,819 | 6.7% |
| Military Treatment Facilities Under DHA | Department of Defense | 376 | $20,994,101 | $55,835 | 5.0% |
| Air Education and Training Command | Department of Defense | 224 | $11,588,980 | $51,737 | 3.0% |
| Defense Commissary Agency | Department of Defense | 174 | $9,546,816 | $54,867 | 2.3% |
| Federal Bureau of Investigation | Department of Justice | 160 | $12,489,680 | $78,061 | 2.1% |
| Department of Defense Education Activity | Department of Defense | 151 | $6,794,529 | $44,997 | 2.0% |
| U.s. Army Corps of Engineers | Department of Defense | 151 | $9,031,837 | $59,813 | 2.0% |
| Air Combat Command | Department of Defense | 148 | $8,007,319 | $54,104 | 2.0% |
| Air Force Materiel Command | Department of Defense | 146 | $8,615,756 | $59,012 | 1.9% |
| Naval Sea Systems Command | Department of Defense | 144 | $9,973,136 | $69,258 | 1.9% |
| Indian Health Service | Department of Health and Human Services | 123 | $6,537,686 | $53,152 | 1.6% |
| Air Mobility Command | Department of Defense | 81 | $4,417,870 | $54,542 | 1.1% |
| "U.s. Pacific Fleet, Commander in Chief" | Department of Defense | 79 | $4,658,481 | $58,968 | 1.1% |
| U.s. Coast Guard | Department of Homeland Security | 75 | $4,881,837 | $65,091 | 1.0% |
| Nuclear Regulatory Commission | Independent or mixed | 74 | $4,933,247 | $66,666 | 1.0% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | Department of the Interior | 60 | $3,376,056 | $56,268 | 0.8% |
| "Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command" | Department of Defense | 59 | $3,427,182 | $58,088 | 0.8% |
| Natural Resources Conservation Service | Department of Agriculture | 56 | $3,773,956 | $67,392 | 0.7% |
| Air Force Global Strike Command | Department of Defense | 54 | $2,735,260 | $50,653 | 0.7% |
| United States Fleet Forces Command | Department of Defense | 53 | $3,082,010 | $58,151 | 0.7% |
| Department of State | Department of State | 53 | $4,203,795 | $79,317 | 0.7% |
| Office of Naval Research | Department of Defense | 52 | $3,519,880 | $67,690 | 0.7% |
| Environmental Protection Agency | Independent or mixed | 51 | $3,855,537 | $75,599 | 0.7% |
Common pay plans for Secretary
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 | 4,482 | $59,905 | 59.8% |
| GL | 809 | $63,915 | 10.8% |
| NG | 160 | $72,021 | 2.1% |
| GG | 88 | $66,029 | 1.2% |
| NK | 65 | $67,186 | 0.9% |
| NC | 52 | $67,690 | 0.7% |
| DU | 51 | $56,395 | 0.7% |
| NB | 28 | $118,279 | 0.4% |
| DK | 23 | $61,700 | 0.3% |
| CE | 16 | $64,259 | 0.2% |
| FV | 15 | $74,272 | 0.2% |
| CG | 14 | $111,942 | 0.2% |
Occupation totals come from the latest OPM FedScope Employment Summary Data (March 2025).