Fish and Wildlife Administration
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Fish and Wildlife Administration occupation series (code 0480): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Biological Sciences Group family, Fish and Wildlife Administration counts 331 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 4.9% from the prior period; pay averages $167,346, which pays well above the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 331
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $167,346
- Avg tenure
- 21.1 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Fish and Wildlife Administration
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 331 people work in the Fish and Wildlife Administration occupation (OPM code 0480) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -4.9% from the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
The average salary for Fish and Wildlife Administration is $167,346 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.5% 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 21.1 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Code 04, the Biological Sciences Group family, is where the federal government classifies Fish and Wildlife Administration alongside 30 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Fish and Wildlife Administration postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Biological Sciences Group family.
Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 67,961 employees combined), Fish and Wildlife Administration holds the #20 spot by headcount, a 0.5% share of the family total.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Fish and Wildlife Administration pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$167,346
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+42.6%
Where Fish and Wildlife Administration ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $167,346 is higher than 95% of federal occupation series (515 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Fish and Wildlife Administration sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Fish and Wildlife Administration ranks higher than 95%.
Related Occupations in Biological Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences | 23,662 | $124,641 | 14 yrs |
| Forestry Technician | 11,090 | $61,659 | 8.7 yrs |
| Wildland Fire Management | 9,667 | $64,457 | 7 yrs |
| Biological Science Technician | 5,212 | $56,618 | 8.9 yrs |
| Soil Conservation | 4,101 | $89,391 | 13.8 yrs |
| Wildlife Biology | 1,868 | $95,468 | 16.3 yrs |
| Fish Biology | 1,629 | $116,550 | 16.2 yrs |
| Microbiology | 1,629 | $143,306 | 16.3 yrs |
| Forestry | 1,626 | $88,902 | 15.1 yrs |
| Ecology | 989 | $122,664 | 16.1 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Fish and Wildlife Administration outside the Biological Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (331 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($167,346 here).
Key takeaways
- Fish and Wildlife Administration pays well above the federal average by 42.6% ($167,346 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 95th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 331 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 4.9% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Fish and Wildlife Administration ranks #353 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 67,961 employees combined), Fish and Wildlife Administration holds the #20 spot by headcount, a 0.5% 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.