Physics
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Physics occupation series (code 1310), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (March 2025).
The verdict
In the Physical Sciences Group family, Physics counts 2,312 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.9% from the prior period; pay averages $155,280, which pays well above the federal-wide $109,869.
- Employees
- 2,312
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $155,280
- Avg tenure
- 13.8 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Physics
Federal agencies employ 2,312 people in the Physics occupation (OPM code 1310), accounting for 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -0.9% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Physics pays $155,280 per year on average, 41.3% above the $109,869 federal civilian average, after moving up 2.4% from the prior period (a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce). Employees in this role stay an average of 13.8 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 13, the Physical Sciences Group family, is where the federal government classifies Physics alongside 24 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Physics 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.
Physics makes up 7.1% of the 32,337 employees across the Physical Sciences Group family, ranking #4 of 25 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (88th percentile) of pay among Physical Sciences Group occupations.
Employees
2,312
-0.9% from prior period
Average Salary
$155,280
+2.4%
Avg Length of Service
13.8 yrs
Occupation Family
Physical Sciences Group
Salary Context
How Physics pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Occupation Average
$155,280
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
+41.3%
Where Physics ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $155,280 is higher than 95% of federal occupation series (603 of 634). The highlighted bar marks where Physics sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 634 federal occupation series; Physics ranks higher than 95%.
Related Occupations in Physical Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Physical Science | 10,323 | $138,591 | 12.6 yrs |
| Chemistry | 5,165 | $140,120 | 13.9 yrs |
| Meteorology | 2,727 | $123,622 | 15.9 yrs |
| Hydrology | 1,903 | $114,328 | 16.6 yrs |
| Physical Science Technician | 1,794 | $83,137 | 11.4 yrs |
| Hydrologic Technician | 1,636 | $71,877 | 11.5 yrs |
| Geology | 1,469 | $117,766 | 12.2 yrs |
| Health Physics | 888 | $130,197 | 14.1 yrs |
| Cartography | 579 | $114,969 | 14.7 yrs |
| Navigational Information | 504 | $144,773 | 15.7 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.