Records analyzed
1 sub-agencies
Cross-joined with state geography and occupational mix
OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce
Merit Systems Protection Board
Headcount, average pay, length of service, sub-agencies, and hiring trends for Merit Systems Protection Board, drawn directly from the OPM FedScope federal workforce dataset (March 2025).
The verdict
Merit Systems Protection Board is a smaller federal agency: 177 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) across 7 states (including DC). At an average salary of $164,600 it pays well above the federal average of $109,869, and headcount declined 4.8% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 177
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $164,600
- States present
- 7
Federal workforce data for Merit Systems Protection Board. This agency represents 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce. Source: OPM FedScope, March 2025.
What the Numbers Say About Merit Systems Protection Board
Merit Systems Protection Board employs 177 federal civilian workers, which accounts for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 reported in the OPM FedScope March 2025 release. Compared to the prior period, headcount moved down by -4.8%, a signal that hiring authorities and attrition at this agency are shedding net positions during the current reporting window.
Average length of service at Merit Systems Protection Board is 16 years, spread across its 1 sub-agencies, a retention signal: longer-tenured workforces tend to hold deeper institutional knowledge, while shorter tenure points to faster cycling through early-career hires. For applicants weighing federal employers, that tenure pattern is as telling as headline pay (how this agency's salary compares to the federal average is broken down in Salary Analysis below).
Geographic reach is another signal of scale: Merit Systems Protection Board has employees in 7 states (including DC), with the largest concentration in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (91 employees at $160,054 avg salary). Over the most recent 0 months of workforce-dynamics data, the agency recorded 0 accessions against 0 separations for a net change of +0 positions, useful context for job seekers evaluating whether Merit Systems Protection Board is expanding, contracting, or simply replacing departures. All figures draw directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes and update semi-annually (March and September).
Workforce Overview
Employees
177
Smaller agency
-4.8% from prior period
Average Salary
$164,600
Well above federal average
+2.3%
Avg Length of Service
16 yrs
Long-tenured workforce
Sub-agencies
1
Data vintage
March 2025
OPM FedScope semi-annual snapshot
Source authority
OPM FedScope
U.S. Office of Personnel Management, official federal HR data
Merit Systems Protection Board pay vs. federal civilian average
Agency average $164,600 relative to federal average $109,869
Federal General Schedule pay-grade distribution
The federal civilian workforce concentrates in the GS-11 to GS-13 grades. These are the actual federal-wide General Schedule employee counts from OPM FedScope, per-agency grade breakdowns are not published in the public extract, so this shows the national distribution Merit Systems Protection Board hires into rather than a modelled per-agency estimate.
National General Schedule grade distribution - 1,517,243 GS employees.
Salary Analysis
How Merit Systems Protection Board pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Agency Average
$164,600
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
+49.8%
Where Merit Systems Protection Board ranks on pay
Ranked by agency (not weighted by headcount), its average salary of $164,600 is higher than 83% of the 115 federal agencies (95 pay less on average). Smaller specialized agencies often post higher per-employee averages than large ones like Merit Systems Protection Board, so this agency-count rank can differ from a comparison to the government-wide, employee-weighted average shown above. The highlighted bar marks where Merit Systems Protection Board sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 115 federal agencies; Merit Systems Protection Board ranks higher than 83%.
Salary Range by Sub-agency
Under $80K
0
$80K–$100K
0
$100K–$120K
0
$120K–$150K
0
Over $150K
177
Sub-agencies & Organizational Units
Merit Systems Protection Board has 1 sub-agencies. The highest-paying unit averages $164,600.
| Sub-agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merit Systems Protection Board | 177 | $164,600 | 16 yrs |
Geographic Presence
Merit Systems Protection Board has employees in 7 states (including DC). DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA has the most with 91 employees.
| State | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 91 | $160,054 | 14 yrs |
| GEORGIA | 14 | $158,793 | 17.4 yrs |
| CALIFORNIA | 14 | $171,153 | 15.7 yrs |
| TEXAS | 13 | $172,721 | 21.4 yrs |
| VIRGINIA | 11 | $180,200 | 15.4 yrs |
| PENNSYLVANIA | 11 | $160,187 | 23.5 yrs |
| ILLINOIS | 11 | $168,950 | 16.1 yrs |
Federal Employment Guides
Learn more about working for the federal government
Similar-Sized Agencies
Federal agencies with a similar workforce size to Merit Systems Protection Board
Judicial Branch
165 employees $125,689 avg
Selective Service System
162 employees $125,533 avg
Fed Mediation and Conciliation Service
205 employees $143,429 avg
Federal Maritime Commission
131 employees $152,295 avg
Surface Transportation Board
126 employees $170,055 avg
Office of Special Counsel
123 employees $155,736 avg
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work at Merit Systems Protection Board? ▾
Merit Systems Protection Board employs 177 federal workers as of March 2025. This represents 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average salary at Merit Systems Protection Board? ▾
The average salary at Merit Systems Protection Board is $164,600 per year, which is 49.8% above the federal average of $109,869.
What is the average length of service at Merit Systems Protection Board? ▾
The average length of service at Merit Systems Protection Board is 16 years. The federal average is 11.8 years.
How many sub-agencies does Merit Systems Protection Board have? ▾
Merit Systems Protection Board has 1 sub-agencies or organizational units. The largest is Merit Systems Protection Board with 177 employees.
In how many states does Merit Systems Protection Board have employees? ▾
Merit Systems Protection Board has employees in 7 states (including DC). The largest concentration is in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA with 91 employees.
Is Merit Systems Protection Board hiring or downsizing? ▾
Workforce dynamics data is not currently available for Merit Systems Protection Board.
Where can I find salary data for occupations at Merit Systems Protection Board? ▾
PlainGovJobs reports the average salary for Merit Systems Protection Board from the OPM FedScope dataset. For pay broken down by individual occupation, browse this site's occupation directory, each occupation page lists its federal average salary and workforce size from the same OPM source.
Data Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) FedScope Employment Cubes, March 2025. Federal civilian non-seasonal full-time and part-time employees. Data does not include military personnel, postal workers, or intelligence agency staff. Last updated: 2026-03-10.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGovJobs
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from OPM FedScope. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: Federal workforce figures from OPM FedScope as of the March 2025 snapshot, with current openings from USAJOBS; compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
PlainGovJobs is rendered directly from OPM FedScope federal-workforce data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on OPM FedScope agency-level employment records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.