Social Science federal employee pay and staffing
This page shows how large the Social Science 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
Social Science is reported under the "Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group" family in the latest OPM summary.
Agencies that employ the most Social Science 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 | 2,743 | $238,090,618 | $86,799 | 17.6% |
| Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System | Department of Justice | 1,946 | $177,538,629 | $91,233 | 12.5% |
| Veterans Benefits Administration | Department of Veterans Affairs | 1,382 | $145,953,067 | $105,610 | 8.9% |
| Administration for Children and Families | Department of Health and Human Services | 1,047 | $137,251,437 | $131,090 | 6.7% |
| United States Army Installation Management Command | Department of Defense | 744 | $66,678,909 | $89,622 | 4.8% |
| Army National Guard Units | Department of Defense | 551 | $52,351,736 | $95,012 | 3.5% |
| Office of the Director | Independent or mixed | 392 | $47,175,145 | $120,345 | 2.5% |
| Forest Service | Department of Agriculture | 302 | $32,271,854 | $106,860 | 1.9% |
| Air Education and Training Command | Department of Defense | 284 | $24,831,977 | $87,437 | 1.8% |
| Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | Department of Health and Human Services | 282 | $35,592,311 | $126,214 | 1.8% |
| U.s. Marine Corps | Department of Defense | 250 | $21,250,149 | $85,001 | 1.6% |
| Air Combat Command | Department of Defense | 249 | $22,420,454 | $90,042 | 1.6% |
| "Commander, Navy Installations" | Department of Defense | 249 | $22,731,243 | $91,290 | 1.6% |
| Federal Bureau of Investigation | Department of Justice | 222 | $28,495,984 | $128,360 | 1.4% |
| National Institutes of Health | Department of Health and Human Services | 220 | $34,357,758 | $156,172 | 1.4% |
| Air Mobility Command | Department of Defense | 219 | $20,208,176 | $92,275 | 1.4% |
| Air National Guard Units | Department of Defense | 208 | $19,753,554 | $94,969 | 1.3% |
| Environmental Protection Agency | Independent or mixed | 177 | $23,639,967 | $133,559 | 1.1% |
| Pretrial Services Agency | Independent or mixed | 171 | $21,615,105 | $126,404 | 1.1% |
| Air Force Materiel Command | Department of Defense | 154 | $13,648,165 | $88,624 | 1.0% |
| Air Force Global Strike Command | Department of Defense | 147 | $13,111,419 | $89,193 | 0.9% |
| Pacific Air Forces | Department of Defense | 143 | $12,242,071 | $85,609 | 0.9% |
| "U.s. Air Forces, Europe" | Department of Defense | 135 | $9,857,013 | $73,015 | 0.9% |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Department of Health and Human Services | 129 | $18,809,613 | $145,811 | 0.8% |
| U.s. Army Forces Command | Department of Defense | 92 | $7,038,979 | $76,511 | 0.6% |
Common pay plans for Social Science
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 | 13,376 | $102,644 | 85.7% |
| GL | 395 | $73,253 | 2.5% |
| AD | 139 | $165,171 | 0.9% |
| NH | 112 | $99,047 | 0.7% |
| ZP | 36 | $131,986 | 0.2% |
| ED | 16 | $128,725 | 0.1% |
| RG | 12 | $108,208 | 0.1% |
Occupation totals come from the latest OPM FedScope Employment Summary Data (March 2025).