Animal Science
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Animal Science occupation series (code 0487): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 55 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Animal Science ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Biological Sciences Group family. Its average salary of $141,981 pays above the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 55
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $141,981
- Avg tenure
- 16.2 yrs
FedScope read on Animal Science (thin series)
Federal agencies employ 55 people in the Animal Science occupation (OPM code 0487), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved sideways by 0.0% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
Animal Science pays $141,981 per year on average, moving down -0.8% from the prior period (a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement). Employees in this role stay an average of 16.2 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Code 04, the Biological Sciences Group family, is where the federal government classifies Animal Science alongside 30 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Animal Science postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Biological Sciences Group family.
Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 67,961 employees combined), Animal Science holds the #30 spot by headcount, a 0.1% share of the family total.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Animal Science pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$141,981
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+21.0%
Where Animal Science ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $141,981 is higher than 84% of federal occupation series (453 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Animal Science sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Animal Science ranks higher than 84%.
Related Occupations in Biological Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences | 23,662 | $124,641 | 14 yrs |
| Forestry Technician | 11,090 | $61,659 | 8.7 yrs |
| Wildland Fire Management | 9,667 | $64,457 | 7 yrs |
| Biological Science Technician | 5,212 | $56,618 | 8.9 yrs |
| Soil Conservation | 4,101 | $89,391 | 13.8 yrs |
| Wildlife Biology | 1,868 | $95,468 | 16.3 yrs |
| Fish Biology | 1,629 | $116,550 | 16.2 yrs |
| Microbiology | 1,629 | $143,306 | 16.3 yrs |
| Forestry | 1,626 | $88,902 | 15.1 yrs |
| Ecology | 989 | $122,664 | 16.1 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Animal Science outside the Biological Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (55 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($141,981 here).
Key takeaways
- Animal Science pays above the federal average by 21.0% ($141,981 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 84th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 55 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Animal Science ranks #528 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 67,961 employees combined), Animal Science holds the #30 spot by headcount, a 0.1% share of the family total.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.