Chemistry
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Chemistry occupation series (code 1320).
The verdict
In the Physical Sciences Group family, Chemistry counts 4,440 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined from the prior period; pay averages $149,099, which pays well above the federal-wide average.
- Headcount change
- -1.9%
- Pay change
- +0.0%
- Avg tenure
- 14.9 yrs
- Rank in family
- #2 of 25
FedScope read on Chemistry (dense series)
For job seekers weighing career length: this series shows a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Headcount moved down versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path. As for pay, the latest move was a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
The Physical Sciences Group family (code 13) groups Chemistry together with 24 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Chemistry postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Physical Sciences Group family. The Physical Sciences Group family totals 26,960 employees, and Chemistry accounts for 16.5% of them. Its average salary ranks in the top half (63rd percentile) of pay among Physical Sciences Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Chemistry pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$149,099
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+27.1%
Where Chemistry ranks on rich federal pay
Chemistry earns more on average than 87% of federal occupation series (473 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Chemistry sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Chemistry.
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 |
| 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 |
| Astronomy and Space Science | 416 | $177,819 | 18 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Chemistry outside the Physical Sciences 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 (4,440 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($149,099 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Chemistry 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 Chemistry 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.