Pharmacology
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (March 2025), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Pharmacology occupation series (code 405).
The verdict
In the Biological Sciences Group family, Pharmacology counts 685 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 4.5% from the prior period; pay averages $177,116, which pays well above the federal-wide $109,869.
- Employees
- 685
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $177,116
- Avg tenure
- 12.8 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Pharmacology
As of the March 2025 reporting window, 685 people work in the Pharmacology occupation (OPM code 405) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -4.5% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Pharmacology is $177,116 per year, placing it 61.2% above the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 3.1% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 12.8 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Pharmacology sits inside the Biological Sciences Group family (code 4), which contains 31 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Pharmacology 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.
Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 69,668 employees combined), Pharmacology holds the #15 spot by headcount, a 1.0% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the top half (97th percentile) of pay among Biological Sciences Group occupations.
Employees
685
-4.5% from prior period
Average Salary
$177,116
+3.1%
Avg Length of Service
12.8 yrs
Occupation Family
Biological Sciences Group
Salary Context
How Pharmacology pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Occupation Average
$177,116
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
+61.2%
Where Pharmacology ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $177,116 is higher than 98% of federal occupation series (620 of 634). The highlighted bar marks where Pharmacology sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 634 federal occupation series; Pharmacology ranks higher than 98%.
Related Occupations in Biological Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences | 28,385 | $115,600 | 12.4 yrs |
| Forestry Technician | 11,381 | $55,040 | 8.1 yrs |
| Biological Science Technician | 5,597 | $55,254 | 8.6 yrs |
| Soil Conservation | 4,882 | $84,996 | 12.4 yrs |
| Wildlife Biology | 2,082 | $95,599 | 15.4 yrs |
| Fish Biology | 1,992 | $114,066 | 15.4 yrs |
| Microbiology | 1,940 | $140,441 | 15.1 yrs |
| Wildland Fire Management | 1,908 | $69,817 | 13.2 yrs |
| Forestry | 1,870 | $86,729 | 13.4 yrs |
| Ecology | 1,260 | $118,786 | 14.3 yrs |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) FedScope Employment Cubes, March 2025. Federal civilian non-seasonal full-time and part-time employees. Data does not include military personnel, postal workers, or intelligence agency staff. Last updated: 2026-03-10.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
PlainGovJobs is rendered directly from OPM FedScope federal-workforce data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on OPM FedScope occupation-level employment records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.