Physical Science Student Trainee
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Physical Science Student Trainee occupation series (code 1399), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
In the Physical Sciences Group family, Physical Science Student Trainee counts 111 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew from the prior period; pay averages $52,412, which pays below the federal-wide average.
- Headcount change
- +11.0%
- Pay change
- +0.0%
- Avg tenure
- 2.6 yrs
- Rank in family
- #18 of 25
FedScope read on Physical Science Student Trainee (thin series)
Headcount moved up versus 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. Pay moved up between the two reporting periods, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. On length of service, this series shows a comparatively short average tenure, which can reflect faster turnover, a competitive private-sector alternative, or a newer program still building up its workforce.
The Physical Sciences Group family (code 13) groups Physical Science Student Trainee together with 24 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Physical Science Student Trainee postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Physical Sciences Group family. The Physical Sciences Group family totals 26,960 employees, and Physical Science Student Trainee accounts for 0.4% of them.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Physical Science Student Trainee pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$52,412
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-55.3%
Where Physical Science Student Trainee ranks on lean federal pay
Physical Science Student Trainee earns more on average than 7% of federal occupation series (39 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Physical Science Student Trainee sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Physical Science Student Trainee.
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 |
| Meteorology | 2,494 | $123,942 | 15.9 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 |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Physical Science Student Trainee outside the Physical Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (111 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($52,412 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Physical Science Student Trainee pay in context with the pay-rank chart above, then compare it with another occupation.
- Turn an average salary into a grade: the GS pay grade tables show how grades and steps map to pay.
- Browse the Physical Sciences Group family occupations in the table above, or search current Physical Science Student Trainee postings on USAJOBS.
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.