General Investigation

What the Numbers Say About General Investigation

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 2,766 people work in the General Investigation occupation (OPM code 1810) across federal agencies, 0.1% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved up by 0.6% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

Average tenure in General Investigation runs 14 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $115,787 per year, 5.4% above the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 2.7% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.

The Investigation Group family (code 18) groups General Investigation together with 19 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for General Investigation 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 Investigation Group family (20 occupations, 211,925 employees combined), General Investigation holds the #8 spot by headcount, a 1.3% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the top half (60th percentile) of pay among Investigation Group occupations.