Computer Science
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Computer Science occupation series (code 1550), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
With 10,070 employees (0.5% of the federal civilian workforce), Computer Science ranks as a mid-sized federal occupation within the Mathematics and Statistics Group family, and headcount declined 1.6% from the prior period. Its average salary of $158,879 pays well above the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 10,070
- Share of workforce
- 0.5%
- Avg salary
- $158,879
- Avg tenure
- 11 yrs
FedScope read on Computer Science (dense series)
0.5% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Computer Science occupation (OPM code 1550): 10,070 people, headcount down -1.6% versus 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.
The average salary for Computer Science is $158,879 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.3% 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 11 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Computer Science sits inside the Mathematics and Statistics Group family (code 15), which contains 11 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Computer Science postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Mathematics and Statistics Group family.
Inside the Mathematics and Statistics Group family (11 occupations, 22,044 employees combined), Computer Science holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 45.7% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (45th percentile) of pay among Mathematics and Statistics Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Computer Science pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$158,879
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+35.4%
Where Computer Science ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $158,879 is higher than 93% of federal occupation series (505 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Computer Science sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Computer Science ranks higher than 93%.
Related Occupations in Mathematics and Statistics Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Research | 4,562 | $162,234 | 14.2 yrs |
| Statistics | 2,962 | $140,330 | 14.3 yrs |
| Mathematical Statistics | 1,332 | $159,420 | 14.3 yrs |
| Data Science Series | 1,092 | $146,079 | 8 yrs |
| Mathematics | 979 | $177,549 | 13.2 yrs |
| Mathematics and Statistics Student Trainee | 372 | $47,225 | 0.9 yrs |
| Statistical Assistant | 336 | $52,435 | 15.2 yrs |
| Actuarial Science | 233 | $167,765 | 17.4 yrs |
| General Mathematics and Statistics | 105 | $211,381 | 16.3 yrs |
| Cryptanalysis | 1 | $158,322 | 29.7 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Computer Science outside the Mathematics and Statistics 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 (10,070 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($158,879 here).
Key takeaways
- Computer Science pays well above the federal average by 35.4% ($158,879 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 93rd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A mid-sized federal occupation by headcount: 10,070 employees, 0.5% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.6% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Computer Science ranks #48 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Mathematics and Statistics Group family (11 occupations, 22,044 employees combined), Computer Science holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 45.7% 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.