Soil Conservation
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Soil Conservation occupation series (code 0457), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
In the Biological Sciences Group family, Soil Conservation counts 4,101 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.1% from the prior period; pay averages $89,391, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 4,101
- Share of workforce
- 0.2%
- Avg salary
- $89,391
- Avg tenure
- 13.8 yrs
FedScope read on Soil Conservation (dense series)
0.2% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Soil Conservation occupation (OPM code 0457): 4,101 people, headcount up 0.1% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Average tenure in Soil Conservation runs 13.8 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $89,391 per year, up 0.1% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
Code 04, the Biological Sciences Group family, is where the federal government classifies Soil Conservation alongside 30 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Soil Conservation postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Biological Sciences Group family.
Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 67,961 employees combined), Soil Conservation holds the #5 spot by headcount, a 6.0% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (32nd percentile) of pay among Biological Sciences Group occupations.
Salary Context
How Soil Conservation pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$89,391
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-23.8%
Where Soil Conservation ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $89,391 is higher than 45% of federal occupation series (243 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Soil Conservation sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Soil Conservation ranks higher than 45%.
Related Occupations in Biological Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences | 23,662 | $124,641 | 14 yrs |
| Forestry Technician | 11,090 | $61,659 | 8.7 yrs |
| Wildland Fire Management | 9,667 | $64,457 | 7 yrs |
| Biological Science Technician | 5,212 | $56,618 | 8.9 yrs |
| Wildlife Biology | 1,868 | $95,468 | 16.3 yrs |
| Fish Biology | 1,629 | $116,550 | 16.2 yrs |
| Microbiology | 1,629 | $143,306 | 16.3 yrs |
| Forestry | 1,626 | $88,902 | 15.1 yrs |
| Ecology | 989 | $122,664 | 16.1 yrs |
| Rangeland Management | 692 | $88,317 | 14.6 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Soil Conservation outside the Biological Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (4,101 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($89,391 here).
Key takeaways
- Soil Conservation pays below the federal average by 23.8% ($89,391 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 45th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 4,101 employees, 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.1% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Soil Conservation ranks #100 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 67,961 employees combined), Soil Conservation holds the #5 spot by headcount, a 6.0% share of the family total.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.