Geography
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Geography occupation series (code 0150), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
With 925 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Geography ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family, and headcount declined 0.1% from the prior period. Its average salary of $120,293 pays near the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 925
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $120,293
- Avg tenure
- 13.7 yrs
FedScope read on Geography (dense series)
0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Geography occupation (OPM code 0150): 925 people, headcount down -0.1% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Geography is $120,293 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.4% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 13.7 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (code 01) groups Geography together with 28 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Geography postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family.
Inside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (29 occupations, 101,196 employees combined), Geography holds the #12 spot by headcount, a 0.9% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (48th percentile) of pay among Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Geography pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$120,293
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+2.5%
Where Geography ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $120,293 is higher than 68% of federal occupation series (366 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Geography sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Geography ranks higher than 68%.
Related Occupations in Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Insurance Administration | 24,044 | $105,855 | 17.7 yrs |
| Social Work | 22,339 | $112,147 | 10 yrs |
| Social Science | 13,513 | $109,039 | 11.8 yrs |
| Intelligence | 12,860 | n/a | 15 yrs |
| Psychology | 10,259 | $144,240 | 10.7 yrs |
| Economist | 3,774 | $158,425 | 14.1 yrs |
| Foreign Affairs | 2,748 | $155,920 | 14.4 yrs |
| Health Insurance Administration | 2,443 | $149,476 | 15.3 yrs |
| Social Science Aid and Technician | 1,534 | $67,632 | 12.4 yrs |
| Archeology | 1,448 | $91,675 | 12 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Geography outside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare 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 (925 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($120,293 here).
Key takeaways
- Geography pays near the federal average by 2.5% ($120,293 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 68th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 925 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.1% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Geography ranks #219 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (29 occupations, 101,196 employees combined), Geography holds the #12 spot by headcount, a 0.9% 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.