Geophysics

What the Numbers Say About Geophysics

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 418 people work in the Geophysics occupation (OPM code 1313) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -2.1% from 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.

The average salary for Geophysics is $143,038 per year, placing it 30.2% above the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 2.5% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 14.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

Geophysics sits inside the Physical Sciences Group family (code 13), which contains 25 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Geophysics 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.

Within the Physical Sciences Group family, Geophysics ranks #15 of 25 by headcount, accounting for 1.3% of the family's combined 32,337 employees.