Instructional Systems
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Instructional Systems occupation series (code 1750), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
Instructional Systems is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 2,001 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Education Group family. At an average salary of $133,760 it pays above the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 2.4% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 2,001
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $133,760
- Avg tenure
- 13.9 yrs
FedScope read on Instructional Systems (dense series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 2,001 people work in the Instructional Systems occupation (OPM code 1750) across federal agencies, 0.1% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -2.4% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Instructional Systems is $133,760 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.0% 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 13.9 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Instructional Systems sits inside the Education Group family (code 17), which contains 11 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Instructional Systems postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Education Group family.
Within the Education Group family, Instructional Systems ranks #5 of 11 by headcount, accounting for 6.4% of the family's combined 31,426 employees. Its average salary ranks in the top half (70th percentile) of pay among Education Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Instructional Systems pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$133,760
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+14.0%
Where Instructional Systems ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $133,760 is higher than 78% of federal occupation series (420 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Instructional Systems sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Instructional Systems ranks higher than 78%.
Related Occupations in Education Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training Instruction | 8,952 | $106,664 | 13.4 yrs |
| General Education and Training | 8,384 | $130,610 | 10.8 yrs |
| Education and Training Technician | 5,144 | $64,690 | 12.9 yrs |
| Education and Vocational Training | 4,966 | $98,819 | 12.5 yrs |
| Vocational Rehabilitation | 808 | $87,970 | 14 yrs |
| Education Services | 702 | $87,278 | 13.2 yrs |
| Education Program | 383 | $138,688 | 14.4 yrs |
| Education Research | 54 | $156,973 | 11.4 yrs |
| Public Health Educator | 22 | $105,660 | 16.8 yrs |
| Education Student Trainee | 10 | n/a | 0.1 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Instructional Systems outside the Education 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 (2,001 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($133,760 here).
Key takeaways
- Instructional Systems pays above the federal average by 14.0% ($133,760 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 78th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 2,001 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 2.4% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Instructional Systems ranks #153 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Education Group family, Instructional Systems ranks #5 of 11 by headcount, accounting for 6.4% of the family's combined 31,426 employees.
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.