Wage and Hour Investigation Series
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Wage and Hour Investigation Series occupation series (code 1849).
The verdict
In the Investigation Group family, Wage and Hour Investigation Series counts 885 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.2% from the prior period; pay averages $120,994, which pays near the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 885
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $120,994
- Avg tenure
- 17.1 yrs
FedScope read on Wage and Hour Investigation Series (dense series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 885 people work in the Wage and Hour Investigation Series occupation (OPM code 1849) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -0.2% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Wage and Hour Investigation Series pays $120,994 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 17.1 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Code 18, the Investigation Group family, is where the federal government classifies Wage and Hour Investigation Series alongside 19 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Wage and Hour Investigation Series postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Investigation Group family.
Within the Investigation Group family, Wage and Hour Investigation Series ranks #10 of 20 by headcount, accounting for 0.4% of the family's combined 209,389 employees. Its average salary ranks in the top half (58th percentile) of pay among Investigation Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Wage and Hour Investigation Series pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$120,994
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+3.1%
Where Wage and Hour Investigation Series ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $120,994 is higher than 68% of federal occupation series (369 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Wage and Hour Investigation Series sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Wage and Hour Investigation Series ranks higher than 68%.
Related Occupations in Investigation Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance Inspection and Support | 53,444 | n/a | 9.8 yrs |
| Criminal Investigation | 44,633 | n/a | 14.5 yrs |
| General Inspection, Investigation, Enforcement, and Compliance Series | 44,491 | n/a | 14.8 yrs |
| Customs and Border Protection | 27,421 | n/a | 14.7 yrs |
| Border Patrol Enforcement Series | 21,781 | n/a | 13.3 yrs |
| Consumer Safety Inspection | 5,242 | $74,073 | 15.3 yrs |
| Aviation Safety | 4,206 | $143,216 | 15 yrs |
| Investigative Analysis | 2,129 | n/a | 15.9 yrs |
| Import Compliance Series | 1,104 | $126,314 | 16.5 yrs |
| Mine Safety and Health Inspection Series | 875 | $112,306 | 13.2 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Wage and Hour Investigation Series outside the Investigation 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 (885 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($120,994 here).
Key takeaways
- Wage and Hour Investigation Series pays near the federal average by 3.1% ($120,994 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 68th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 885 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.2% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Wage and Hour Investigation Series ranks #226 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Investigation Group family, Wage and Hour Investigation Series ranks #10 of 20 by headcount, accounting for 0.4% of the family's combined 209,389 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.