Wildlife Refuge Management

What the Numbers Say About Wildlife Refuge Management

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 463 people work in the Wildlife Refuge Management occupation (OPM code 485) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -4.9% 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.

The average salary for Wildlife Refuge Management is $112,814 per year, placing it 2.7% above the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 1.8% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement. Average length of service in this role is 20.3 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 4) groups Wildlife Refuge Management together with 30 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Wildlife Refuge Management 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.

Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 69,668 employees combined), Wildlife Refuge Management holds the #19 spot by headcount, a 0.7% share of the family total.