Zoology
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Zoology occupation series (code 0410): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
Zoology is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 33 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Biological Sciences Group family. At an average salary of $157,557 it pays well above the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 2.9% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 33
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $157,557
- Avg tenure
- 19 yrs
FedScope read on Zoology (thin series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 33 people work in the Zoology occupation (OPM code 0410) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -2.9% 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 Zoology is $157,557 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.7% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement. Average length of service in this role is 19 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Code 04, the Biological Sciences Group family, is where the federal government classifies Zoology alongside 30 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Zoology postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Biological Sciences Group family.
Within the Biological Sciences Group family, Zoology ranks #31 of 31 by headcount, accounting for 0.0% of the family's combined 67,961 employees.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Zoology pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$157,557
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+34.3%
Where Zoology ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $157,557 is higher than 92% of federal occupation series (497 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Zoology sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Zoology ranks higher than 92%.
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 peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Zoology outside the Biological Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (33 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($157,557 here).
Key takeaways
- Zoology pays well above the federal average by 34.3% ($157,557 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 92nd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 33 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 2.9% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Zoology ranks #576 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Biological Sciences Group family, Zoology ranks #31 of 31 by headcount, accounting for 0.0% 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.