Plant Pathology

What the Numbers Say About Plant Pathology

0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (2,289,472 employees total, March 2025) works in the Plant Pathology occupation (OPM code 434): 243 people, headcount up 2.1% 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.

The average salary for Plant Pathology is $135,102 per year, placing it 23.0% above the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 1.3% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement. Average length of service in this role is 14.7 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

The Biological Sciences Group family (code 4) groups Plant Pathology together with 30 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Plant Pathology 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), Plant Pathology holds the #24 spot by headcount, a 0.3% share of the family total.