Social Science Student Trainee
Everything OPM FedScope (March 2025) reports about the Social Science Student Trainee occupation series (code 199): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family, Social Science Student Trainee counts 243 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 33.8% from the prior period; pay averages $54,251, which pays below the federal-wide $109,869.
- Employees
- 243
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $54,251
- Avg tenure
- 1.1 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Social Science Student Trainee
As of the March 2025 reporting window, 243 people work in the Social Science Student Trainee occupation (OPM code 199) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -33.8% from 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 Social Science Student Trainee runs 1.1 years, a comparatively short average tenure, which can reflect faster turnover, a competitive private-sector alternative, or a newer program still building up its workforce. Pay averages $54,251 per year, 50.6% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 10.1% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.
Social Science Student Trainee sits inside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (code 1), which contains 28 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Social Science Student Trainee 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 Student Trainee makes up 0.2% of the 113,996 employees across the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family, ranking #21 of 28 occupations in that family by headcount.
Employees
243
-33.8% from prior period
Average Salary
$54,251
+10.1%
Avg Length of Service
1.1 yrs
Occupation Family
Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group
Salary Context
How Social Science Student Trainee pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Occupation Average
$54,251
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
-50.6%
Where Social Science Student Trainee ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $54,251 is higher than 9% of federal occupation series (58 of 634). The highlighted bar marks where Social Science Student Trainee sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 634 federal occupation series; Social Science Student Trainee ranks higher than 9%.
Related Occupations in Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Insurance Administration | 26,336 | $102,350 | 17.1 yrs |
| Social Work | 23,864 | $107,137 | 8.4 yrs |
| Social Science | 15,599 | $104,809 | 9.9 yrs |
| Intelligence | 14,757 | $136,580 | 11.6 yrs |
| Psychology | 11,079 | $138,990 | 9 yrs |
| Economist | 4,888 | $151,094 | 12.6 yrs |
| Foreign Affairs | 3,843 | $148,817 | 12 yrs |
| Health Insurance Administration | 2,878 | $145,397 | 14.2 yrs |
| Archeology | 1,719 | $92,825 | 10 yrs |
| Social Science Aid and Technician | 1,628 | $66,133 | 9.3 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.