Mathematics
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Mathematics occupation series (code 1520): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Mathematics and Statistics Group family, Mathematics counts 979 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.7% from the prior period; pay averages $177,549, which pays well above the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 979
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $177,549
- Avg tenure
- 13.2 yrs
FedScope read on Mathematics (dense series)
0.1% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Mathematics occupation (OPM code 1520): 979 people, headcount down -0.7% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Mathematics is $177,549 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.3% 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 13.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Mathematics and Statistics Group family (code 15) groups Mathematics together with 10 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Mathematics postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Mathematics and Statistics Group family.
Inside the Mathematics and Statistics Group family (11 occupations, 22,044 employees combined), Mathematics holds the #6 spot by headcount, a 4.4% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the top half (82nd percentile) of pay among Mathematics and Statistics Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Mathematics pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$177,549
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+51.3%
Where Mathematics ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $177,549 is higher than 97% of federal occupation series (525 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Mathematics sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Mathematics ranks higher than 97%.
Related Occupations in Mathematics and Statistics Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 10,070 | $158,879 | 11 yrs |
| Operations Research | 4,562 | $162,234 | 14.2 yrs |
| Statistics | 2,962 | $140,330 | 14.3 yrs |
| Mathematical Statistics | 1,332 | $159,420 | 14.3 yrs |
| Data Science Series | 1,092 | $146,079 | 8 yrs |
| Mathematics and Statistics Student Trainee | 372 | $47,225 | 0.9 yrs |
| Statistical Assistant | 336 | $52,435 | 15.2 yrs |
| Actuarial Science | 233 | $167,765 | 17.4 yrs |
| General Mathematics and Statistics | 105 | $211,381 | 16.3 yrs |
| Cryptanalysis | 1 | $158,322 | 29.7 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Mathematics outside the Mathematics and Statistics 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 (979 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($177,549 here).
Key takeaways
- Mathematics pays well above the federal average by 51.3% ($177,549 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 97th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 979 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.7% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Mathematics ranks #214 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Mathematics and Statistics Group family (11 occupations, 22,044 employees combined), Mathematics holds the #6 spot by headcount, a 4.4% 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.