PublicPay

Social Science federal salary series 0101

Full-time federal employees in the Social Science series earned a median of $99,906 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 9% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $86,858 and $126,028.

Median pay
$99,906
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$86,858–$126,028
25th–75th percentile
Employees
13,561
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
-0.5%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Social Science
All federal (full-time)

What shapes social science pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-11 (5,214 employees, median $88,549). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Veterans Affairs (4,015 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Maryland ($146,143) and lowest in Mississippi ($84,638), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

OPM withheld pay for 33% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Social Science pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Social Science pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-9 963 $72,012 $67,896–$79,210
GS-11 5,214 $88,549 $83,080–$95,769
GS-12 3,320 $109,243 $101,443–$117,826
GS-13 1,988 $132,923 $124,177–$142,084
GS-14 799 $163,104 $153,382–$172,700
GS-15 279 $197,200 $184,317–$197,200
GL-7 93 $70,646 $65,599–$72,328
GL-9 172 $76,128 $72,012–$78,356

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Social Science pay by agency

Social Science pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Veterans Affairs 4,015 $92,491 $82,204–$107,038
Department of Justice 2,161 $92,107 $82,148–$99,742
Department of Health and Human Services 1,708 $134,162 $116,770–$158,322
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia 513 $129,728 $109,243–$133,142
Department of Agriculture 264 $104,518 $87,128–$134,014
Department of Homeland Security 225 $121,785 $102,626–$142,469
Environmental Protection Agency 133 $133,586 $121,785–$154,950
Department of the Interior 70 $120,629 $108,942–$145,221
Department of Commerce 65 $142,892 $125,302–$174,250
Department of Housing and Urban Development 38 $152,730 $133,836–$171,500
National Science Foundation 37 $209,600 $188,362–$209,600
Department of Transportation 33 $144,646 $109,182–$181,195

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Social Science pay by state

The 10 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Social Science pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
District of Columbia 1,314 $133,142 $121,785–$158,306
Georgia 802 $94,770 $86,871–$107,275
Texas 732 $97,087 $83,892–$110,395
Maryland 550 $146,143 $116,071–$169,279
California 525 $107,828 $92,866–$122,908
Florida 495 $87,488 $80,243–$101,443
New York 365 $96,808 $88,381–$114,413
Pennsylvania 346 $97,087 $87,508–$116,362
Virginia 274 $101,417 $85,811–$146,143
Illinois 269 $94,616 $83,482–$110,066

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Compare social science pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved −0.5% from $100,369 in September 2025 to $99,906 in September 2026. Headcount went from 14,489 to 13,561 (−6.4%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

Related occupations in Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group