Auditing
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Auditing occupation series (code 0511).
The verdict
With 5,808 employees (0.3% of the federal civilian workforce), Auditing ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Accounting and Budget Group family, and headcount declined 38.4% from the prior period. Its average salary of $144,351 pays above the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 5,808
- Share of workforce
- 0.3%
- Avg salary
- $144,351
- Avg tenure
- 17 yrs
FedScope read on Auditing (dense series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 5,808 people work in the Auditing occupation (OPM code 0511) across federal agencies, 0.3% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -38.4% from the prior period, a useful gauge for job seekers on USAJOBS trying to assess whether this role is expanding government-wide or contracting under hiring freezes and attrition.
Average tenure in Auditing runs 17 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages $144,351 per year, up 0.1% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
Code 05, the Accounting and Budget Group family, is where the federal government classifies Auditing alongside 17 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Auditing postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Accounting and Budget Group family.
Auditing makes up 6.7% of the 86,835 employees across the Accounting and Budget Group family, ranking #6 of 18 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (75th percentile) of pay among Accounting and Budget Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Auditing pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$144,351
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+23.0%
Where Auditing ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $144,351 is higher than 85% of federal occupation series (460 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Auditing sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Auditing ranks higher than 85%.
Related Occupations in Accounting and Budget Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Administration and Program | 25,018 | $114,904 | 15.9 yrs |
| Budget Analysis | 12,255 | $131,861 | 16.8 yrs |
| Tax Examining | 10,631 | $56,610 | 10.9 yrs |
| Accounting | 8,731 | $145,658 | 16.1 yrs |
| Internal Revenue Agent | 7,678 | n/a | 13.6 yrs |
| Financial Clerical and Assistance | 5,304 | $56,817 | 10.7 yrs |
| Financial Institution Examining | 4,728 | $168,883 | 15.2 yrs |
| Accounting Technician | 1,754 | $61,366 | 12.3 yrs |
| Financial Management | 1,049 | $166,042 | 21.6 yrs |
| Military Pay | 738 | $63,334 | 11.7 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Auditing outside the Accounting and Budget 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 (5,808 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($144,351 here).
Key takeaways
- Auditing pays above the federal average by 23.0% ($144,351 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 85th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 5,808 employees, 0.3% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 38.4% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Auditing ranks #70 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Auditing makes up 6.7% of the 86,835 employees across the Accounting and Budget Group family, ranking #6 of 18 occupations in that family by headcount.
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.