Economist

What the Numbers Say About Economist

Federal agencies employ 4,888 people in the Economist occupation (OPM code 110), accounting for 0.2% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -2.2% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

The average salary for Economist is $151,094 per year, placing it 37.5% above the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 2.8% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 12.6 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

Economist sits inside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (code 1), which contains 28 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Economist 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.

Inside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (28 occupations, 113,996 employees combined), Economist holds the #6 spot by headcount, a 4.3% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the top half (93rd percentile) of pay among Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group occupations.