Astronomy and Space Science
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Astronomy and Space Science occupation series (code 1330): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 416 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Astronomy and Space Science ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Physical Sciences Group family, and headcount edged down from the prior period. Its average salary of $177,819 pays well above the federal average.
- Headcount change
- -1.0%
- Pay change
- -0.1%
- Avg tenure
- 18 yrs
- Rank in family
- #11 of 25
What the Numbers Say About Astronomy and Space Science
Headcount moved down 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. Pay moved down between the two reporting periods, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. On length of service, this series shows a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Astronomy and Space Science sits inside the Physical Sciences Group family (code 13), which contains 25 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Astronomy and Space Science postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Physical Sciences Group family. Across the Physical Sciences Group family, 26,960 employees work in 25 occupations; Astronomy and Space Science is 1.5% of that headcount.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Astronomy and Space Science pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$177,819
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+51.5%
Where Astronomy and Space Science ranks on rich federal pay
Astronomy and Space Science earns more on average than 97% of federal occupation series (526 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Astronomy and Space Science sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Astronomy and Space Science.
Related Occupations in Physical Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Physical Science | 8,297 | $145,078 | 14.6 yrs |
| Chemistry | 4,440 | $149,099 | 14.9 yrs |
| Meteorology | 2,494 | $123,942 | 15.9 yrs |
| Physics | 2,009 | $174,005 | 15.9 yrs |
| Physical Science Technician | 1,577 | $78,820 | 13.3 yrs |
| Hydrology | 1,524 | $116,486 | 17.1 yrs |
| Hydrologic Technician | 1,356 | $76,077 | 12.9 yrs |
| Geology | 1,240 | $124,746 | 14 yrs |
| Health Physics | 746 | $146,649 | 16.4 yrs |
| Cartography | 487 | $120,890 | 16.3 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Astronomy and Space Science outside the Physical Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (416 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($177,819 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Astronomy and Space Science pay in context with the pay-rank chart above, then compare it with another occupation.
- Turn an average salary into a grade: the GS pay grade tables show how grades and steps map to pay.
- Browse the Physical Sciences Group family occupations in the table above, or search current Astronomy and Space Science postings on USAJOBS.
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.