Health Physics
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Health Physics occupation series (code 1306).
The verdict
In the Physical Sciences Group family, Health Physics counts 746 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.8% from the prior period; pay averages $146,649, which pays above the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 746
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $146,649
- Avg tenure
- 16.4 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Health Physics
Federal agencies employ 746 people in the Health Physics occupation (OPM code 1306), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -0.8% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Health Physics is $146,649 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 16.4 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Health Physics sits inside the Physical Sciences Group family (code 13), which contains 25 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Health Physics postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Physical Sciences Group family.
Health Physics makes up 2.8% of the 26,960 employees across the Physical Sciences Group family, ranking #9 of 25 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (54th percentile) of pay among Physical Sciences Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Health Physics pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$146,649
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+25.0%
Where Health Physics ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $146,649 is higher than 86% of federal occupation series (466 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Health Physics sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Health Physics ranks higher than 86%.
Related Occupations in Physical Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Physical Science | 8,297 | $145,078 | 14.6 yrs |
| 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 |
| Cartography | 487 | $120,890 | 16.3 yrs |
| Astronomy and Space Science | 416 | $177,819 | 18 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Health Physics outside the Physical 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 (746 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($146,649 here).
Key takeaways
- Health Physics pays above the federal average by 25.0% ($146,649 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 86th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 746 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.8% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Health Physics ranks #245 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Health Physics makes up 2.8% of the 26,960 employees across the Physical Sciences Group family, ranking #9 of 25 occupations in that family by headcount.
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.