Architecture
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Architecture occupation series (code 0808): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
Architecture is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 1,652 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Engineering and Architecture Group family. At an average salary of $141,947 it pays above the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 1.0% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 1,652
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $141,947
- Avg tenure
- 13 yrs
FedScope read on Architecture (dense series)
Federal agencies employ 1,652 people in the Architecture occupation (OPM code 0808), accounting for 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -1.0% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Architecture is $141,947 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 13 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Engineering and Architecture Group family (code 08) groups Architecture together with 28 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Architecture postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Engineering and Architecture Group family.
Within the Engineering and Architecture Group family, Architecture ranks #12 of 29 by headcount, accounting for 1.4% of the family's combined 120,278 employees. Its average salary ranks in the top half (56th percentile) of pay among Engineering and Architecture Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Architecture pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$141,947
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+21.0%
Where Architecture ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $141,947 is higher than 84% of federal occupation series (452 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Architecture sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Architecture ranks higher than 84%.
Related Occupations in Engineering and Architecture Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Engineering | 27,619 | $158,941 | 16.9 yrs |
| Engineering Technical | 14,443 | $93,062 | 15.2 yrs |
| Mechanical Engineering | 12,920 | $136,601 | 11.9 yrs |
| Electronics Engineering | 12,889 | $155,270 | 16.8 yrs |
| Civil Engineering | 10,260 | $124,230 | 14.7 yrs |
| Aerospace Engineering | 8,359 | $155,848 | 14.8 yrs |
| Electronics Technical | 7,298 | $103,713 | 15.6 yrs |
| Electrical Engineering | 5,231 | $142,419 | 13.5 yrs |
| Computer Engineering | 3,753 | $160,672 | 14.2 yrs |
| Nuclear Engineering | 2,813 | n/a | 13.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Architecture outside the Engineering and Architecture Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (1,652 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($141,947 here).
Key takeaways
- Architecture pays above the federal average by 21.0% ($141,947 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 84th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 1,652 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.0% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Architecture ranks #165 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Engineering and Architecture Group family, Architecture ranks #12 of 29 by headcount, accounting for 1.4% of the family's combined 120,278 employees.
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.