Genetics
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Genetics occupation series (code 0440): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Biological Sciences Group family, Genetics counts 392 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined from the prior period; pay averages $142,502, which pays above the federal-wide average.
- Headcount change
- -1.0%
- Pay change
- +0.0%
- Avg tenure
- 16.1 yrs
- Rank in family
- #17 of 31
What the Numbers Say About Genetics
On pay, the move between reporting periods was a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. On length of service, this series shows a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Headcount moved down 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.
Genetics sits inside the Biological Sciences Group family (code 04), which contains 31 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Genetics postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Biological Sciences Group family. Genetics makes up 0.6% of the Biological Sciences Group family's 67,961 combined employees.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Genetics pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$142,502
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+21.4%
Where Genetics ranks on rich federal pay
Genetics earns more on average than 84% of federal occupation series (455 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Genetics sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Genetics.
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 Genetics 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 (392 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($142,502 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Genetics pay in context with the pay-rank chart above, then compare it with another occupation.
- Turn an average salary into a grade: the GS pay grade tables show how grades and steps map to pay.
- Browse the Biological Sciences Group family occupations in the table above, or search current Genetics postings on USAJOBS.
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.