Oceanography

What the Numbers Say About Oceanography

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 454 people work in the Oceanography occupation (OPM code 1360) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -2.2% 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.

Average tenure in Oceanography runs 15.2 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages $141,901 per year, 29.2% above the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 2.5% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.

The Physical Sciences Group family (code 13) groups Oceanography together with 24 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Oceanography 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.

Oceanography makes up 1.4% of the 32,337 employees across the Physical Sciences Group family, ranking #13 of 25 occupations in that family by headcount.