General Investigation
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the General Investigation occupation series (code 1810): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
General Investigation is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 770 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Investigation Group family. At an average salary of n/a it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 67.9% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 770
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- n/a
- Avg tenure
- 19.5 yrs
What the Numbers Say About General Investigation
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 770 people work in the General Investigation occupation (OPM code 1810) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -67.9% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Average tenure in General Investigation runs 19.5 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages n/a per year, down 0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
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 in the Investigation Group family.
Inside the Investigation Group family (20 occupations, 209,389 employees combined), General Investigation holds the #12 spot by headcount, a 0.4% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (0th percentile) of pay among Investigation Group occupations.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How General Investigation pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
n/a
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-100.0%
Where General Investigation ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of n/a is higher than 0% of federal occupation series (0 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where General Investigation sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; General Investigation ranks higher than 0%.
Related Occupations in Investigation Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance Inspection and Support | 53,444 | n/a | 9.8 yrs |
| Criminal Investigation | 44,633 | n/a | 14.5 yrs |
| General Inspection, Investigation, Enforcement, and Compliance Series | 44,491 | n/a | 14.8 yrs |
| Customs and Border Protection | 27,421 | n/a | 14.7 yrs |
| Border Patrol Enforcement Series | 21,781 | n/a | 13.3 yrs |
| Consumer Safety Inspection | 5,242 | $74,073 | 15.3 yrs |
| Aviation Safety | 4,206 | $143,216 | 15 yrs |
| Investigative Analysis | 2,129 | n/a | 15.9 yrs |
| Import Compliance Series | 1,104 | $126,314 | 16.5 yrs |
| Wage and Hour Investigation Series | 885 | $120,994 | 17.1 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for General Investigation outside the Investigation Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (770 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families (n/a here).
Key takeaways
- General Investigation pays below the federal average by 100.0% (n/a vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 0th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 770 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 67.9% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, General Investigation ranks #238 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Investigation Group family (20 occupations, 209,389 employees combined), General Investigation holds the #12 spot by headcount, a 0.4% 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.