Soil Science
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Soil Science occupation series (code 0470).
The verdict
With 582 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Soil Science ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Biological Sciences Group family, and headcount declined 0.5% from the prior period. Its average salary of $108,847 pays near the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 582
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $108,847
- Avg tenure
- 16.8 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Soil Science
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 582 people work in the Soil Science occupation (OPM code 0470) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -0.5% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Soil Science pays $108,847 per year on average, moving 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). Employees in this role stay an average of 16.8 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
The Biological Sciences Group family (code 04) groups Soil Science together with 30 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Soil Science postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Biological Sciences Group family.
Within the Biological Sciences Group family, Soil Science ranks #13 of 31 by headcount, accounting for 0.9% of the family's combined 67,961 employees. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (42nd percentile) of pay among Biological Sciences Group occupations.
Salary Context
How Soil Science pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$108,847
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-7.2%
Where Soil Science ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $108,847 is higher than 60% of federal occupation series (325 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Soil Science sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Soil Science ranks higher than 60%.
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 |
| Soil Conservation | 4,101 | $89,391 | 13.8 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 |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Soil Science outside the Biological Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (582 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($108,847 here).
Key takeaways
- Soil Science pays near the federal average by 7.2% ($108,847 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 60th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 582 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.5% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Soil Science ranks #275 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Biological Sciences Group family, Soil Science ranks #13 of 31 by headcount, accounting for 0.9% of the family's combined 67,961 employees.
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.