Geology

What the Numbers Say About Geology

Federal agencies employ 1,469 people in the Geology occupation (OPM code 1350), accounting for 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -1.7% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

The average salary for Geology is $117,766 per year, placing it 7.2% above the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 1.4% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement. Average length of service in this role is 12.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

The Physical Sciences Group family (code 13) groups Geology together with 24 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Geology 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.

Geology makes up 4.5% of the 32,337 employees across the Physical Sciences Group family, ranking #8 of 25 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (36th percentile) of pay among Physical Sciences Group occupations.