Social Science

What the Numbers Say About Social Science

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 15,599 people work in the Social Science occupation (OPM code 101) across federal agencies, 0.7% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved up by 1.9% from the prior period, a useful gauge for job seekers on USAJOBS trying to assess whether this role is expanding government-wide or contracting under hiring freezes and attrition.

Average tenure in Social Science runs 9.9 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $104,809 per year, 4.6% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 2.2% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.

The Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (code 1) groups Social Science together with 27 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Social Science 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.

Social Science makes up 13.7% of the 113,996 employees across the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family, ranking #3 of 28 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (36th percentile) of pay among Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group occupations.