General Physical Science
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the General Physical Science occupation series (code 1301): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Physical Sciences Group family, General Physical Science counts 8,297 employees, a mid-sized federal occupation at 0.4% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.7% from the prior period; pay averages $145,078, which pays above the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 8,297
- Share of workforce
- 0.4%
- Avg salary
- $145,078
- Avg tenure
- 14.6 yrs
FedScope read on General Physical Science (dense series)
0.4% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the General Physical Science occupation (OPM code 1301): 8,297 people, headcount down -1.7% versus the prior period, a useful gauge for job seekers on USAJOBS trying to assess whether this role is expanding government-wide or contracting under hiring freezes and attrition.
Average tenure in General Physical Science runs 14.6 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $145,078 per year, up 0.1% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
Code 13, the Physical Sciences Group family, is where the federal government classifies General Physical Science alongside 24 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for General Physical Science postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Physical Sciences Group family.
Inside the Physical Sciences Group family (25 occupations, 26,960 employees combined), General Physical Science holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 30.8% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks right at the midpoint of pay among Physical Sciences Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How General Physical Science pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$145,078
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+23.6%
Where General Physical Science ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $145,078 is higher than 85% of federal occupation series (462 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where General Physical Science sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; General Physical Science ranks higher than 85%.
Related Occupations in Physical Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Astronomy and Space Science | 416 | $177,819 | 18 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for General Physical Science outside the Physical Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (8,297 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($145,078 here).
Key takeaways
- General Physical Science pays above the federal average by 23.6% ($145,078 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 85th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A mid-sized federal occupation by headcount: 8,297 employees, 0.4% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.7% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, General Physical Science ranks #58 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Physical Sciences Group family (25 occupations, 26,960 employees combined), General Physical Science holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 30.8% 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.