PublicPay

Ecology federal salary series 0408

Full-time federal employees in the Ecology series earned a median of $120,629 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 10% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $97,087 and $148,766.

Median pay
$120,629
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$97,087–$148,766
25th–75th percentile
Employees
941
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+4.7%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Ecology
All federal (full-time)

What shapes ecology pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-12 (215 employees, median $107,952). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of the Interior (452 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in California ($132,923) and lowest in Oregon ($111,456), 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.

Ecology pay by grade

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

Ecology pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-9 68 $69,789 $63,780–$74,815
GS-11 175 $89,618 $82,148–$96,626
GS-12 215 $107,952 $101,443–$116,362
GS-13 182 $129,508 $120,629–$138,370
GS-14 112 $152,332 $144,194–$163,590
GS-15 95 $182,467 $172,604–$192,450
ZP-4 32 $164,978 $146,560–$183,782

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

Ecology pay by agency

Ecology pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of the Interior 452 $118,386 $97,087–$145,468
Department of Agriculture 288 $107,411 $89,618–$133,383
Department of Commerce 60 $145,468 $130,786–$170,399
Environmental Protection Agency 50 $150,935 $137,622–$165,949

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

Ecology pay by state

The 6 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Ecology pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
California 107 $132,923 $99,333–$150,802
Oregon 72 $111,456 $87,223–$138,172
Colorado 71 $130,543 $99,922–$154,280
Montana 49 $120,629 $98,459–$150,935
Washington 43 $124,078 $92,107–$154,024
Florida 32 $123,927 $110,806–$151,376

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

Compare ecology pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +4.7% from $115,213 in September 2025 to $120,629 in September 2026. Headcount went from 1,172 to 941 (−19.7%). 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.

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