Data Science Series
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Data Science Series occupation series (code 1560), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
With 1,092 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce), Data Science Series ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Mathematics and Statistics Group family, and headcount declined from the prior period. Its average salary of $146,079 pays above the federal average.
- Headcount change
- -2.2%
- Pay change
- +0.2%
- Avg tenure
- 8 yrs
- Rank in family
- #5 of 11
FedScope read on Data Science Series (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 Mathematics and Statistics Group family (code 15) groups Data Science Series together with 10 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Data Science Series postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Mathematics and Statistics Group family. Data Science Series makes up 5.0% of the Mathematics and Statistics Group family's 22,044 combined employees. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (27th percentile) of pay among Mathematics and Statistics Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Data Science Series pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$146,079
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+24.5%
Where Data Science Series ranks on rich federal pay
Data Science Series earns more on average than 86% of federal occupation series (465 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Data Science Series sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Data Science Series.
Related Occupations in Mathematics and Statistics Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 10,070 | $158,879 | 11 yrs |
| 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 |
| 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 Data Science Series 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 (1,092 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($146,079 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Data Science Series 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 Mathematics and Statistics Group family occupations in the table above, or search current Data Science Series 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.