Meteorology
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Meteorology occupation series (code 1340), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
Meteorology is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 2,494 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Physical Sciences Group family. At an average salary of $123,942 it pays near the federal average of $117,339, and headcount grew 0.3% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 2,494
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $123,942
- Avg tenure
- 15.9 yrs
FedScope read on Meteorology (dense series)
0.1% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Meteorology occupation (OPM code 1340): 2,494 people, headcount up 0.3% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Meteorology pays $123,942 per year on average, moving down -0.1% from the prior period (a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change). Employees in this role stay an average of 15.9 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Meteorology sits inside the Physical Sciences Group family (code 13), which contains 25 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Meteorology postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Physical Sciences Group family.
Inside the Physical Sciences Group family (25 occupations, 26,960 employees combined), Meteorology holds the #3 spot by headcount, a 9.3% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (33rd percentile) of pay among Physical Sciences Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Meteorology pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$123,942
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+5.6%
Where Meteorology ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $123,942 is higher than 70% of federal occupation series (380 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Meteorology sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Meteorology ranks higher than 70%.
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 |
| 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 |
| Health Physics | 746 | $146,649 | 16.4 yrs |
| Cartography | 487 | $120,890 | 16.3 yrs |
| Astronomy and Space Science | 416 | $177,819 | 18 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Meteorology outside the Physical Sciences 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 (2,494 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($123,942 here).
Key takeaways
- Meteorology pays near the federal average by 5.6% ($123,942 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 70th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 2,494 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.3% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Meteorology ranks #137 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Physical Sciences Group family (25 occupations, 26,960 employees combined), Meteorology holds the #3 spot by headcount, a 9.3% 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.