Contracting

What the Numbers Say About Contracting

Federal agencies employ 44,381 people in the Contracting occupation (OPM code 1102), accounting for 1.9% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -0.3% 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.

Average tenure in Contracting runs 12.8 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $118,690 per year, 8.0% above the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 2.5% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.

The Business and Industry Group family (code 11) groups Contracting together with 24 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Contracting postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Within the Business and Industry Group family, Contracting is the single largest occupation by headcount, accounting for 38.4% of the family's combined 115,651 employees. Its average salary ranks in the top half (68th percentile) of pay among Business and Industry Group occupations.