Food Technology
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Food Technology occupation series (code 1382), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
In the Physical Sciences Group family, Food Technology counts 87 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 8.4% from the prior period; pay averages $150,998, which pays well above the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 87
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $150,998
- Avg tenure
- 17.1 yrs
FedScope read on Food Technology (thin series)
Federal agencies employ 87 people in the Food Technology occupation (OPM code 1382), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -8.4% versus 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.
Food Technology pays $150,998 per year on average, moving up 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). Employees in this role stay an average of 17.1 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
The Physical Sciences Group family (code 13) groups Food Technology together with 24 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Food Technology postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Physical Sciences Group family.
Within the Physical Sciences Group family, Food Technology ranks #19 of 25 by headcount, accounting for 0.3% of the family's combined 26,960 employees.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Food Technology pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$150,998
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+28.7%
Where Food Technology ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $150,998 is higher than 89% of federal occupation series (480 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Food Technology sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Food Technology ranks higher than 89%.
Related Occupations in Physical Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Physical Science | 8,297 | $145,078 | 14.6 yrs |
| Chemistry | 4,440 | $149,099 | 14.9 yrs |
| Meteorology | 2,494 | $123,942 | 15.9 yrs |
| Physics | 2,009 | $174,005 | 15.9 yrs |
| Physical Science Technician | 1,577 | $78,820 | 13.3 yrs |
| Hydrology | 1,524 | $116,486 | 17.1 yrs |
| Hydrologic Technician | 1,356 | $76,077 | 12.9 yrs |
| Geology | 1,240 | $124,746 | 14 yrs |
| Health Physics | 746 | $146,649 | 16.4 yrs |
| Cartography | 487 | $120,890 | 16.3 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Food Technology outside the Physical Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (87 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($150,998 here).
Key takeaways
- Food Technology pays well above the federal average by 28.7% ($150,998 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 89th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 87 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 8.4% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Food Technology ranks #487 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Physical Sciences Group family, Food Technology ranks #19 of 25 by headcount, accounting for 0.3% of the family's combined 26,960 employees.
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.