Plant Physiology

What the Numbers Say About Plant Physiology

Federal agencies employ 85 people in the Plant Physiology occupation (OPM code 435), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -6.6% 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.

Average tenure in Plant Physiology runs 17.2 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages $139,365 per year, 26.8% above the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 1.5% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement.

The Biological Sciences Group family (code 4) groups Plant Physiology together with 30 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Plant Physiology 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 Physiology holds the #28 spot by headcount, a 0.1% share of the family total.