PublicPay

Auditing federal salary series 0511

Full-time federal employees in the Auditing series earned a median of $142,259 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 30% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $125,454 and $163,046.

Median pay
$142,259
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$125,454–$163,046
25th–75th percentile
Employees
9,417
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+1.5%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Auditing
All federal (full-time)

What shapes auditing pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-13 (3,432 employees, median $138,370). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Homeland Security (718 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in District of Columbia ($154,263) and lowest in Oklahoma ($117,081), 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 60% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Auditing pay by grade

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

Auditing pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-9 304 $70,623 $68,722–$76,128
GS-11 449 $85,447 $82,289–$89,618
GS-12 2,926 $109,030 $101,918–$116,362
GS-13 3,432 $138,370 $129,904–$146,749
GS-14 1,314 $166,185 $155,505–$177,497
GS-15 423 $197,200 $185,902–$197,200
ES (ungraded) 74 $223,541 $211,766–$228,000

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

Auditing pay by agency

Auditing pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Homeland Security 718 $138,836 $123,716–$154,889
Department of Health and Human Services 562 $136,970 $119,468–$150,935
Department of Justice 430 $150,935 $138,024–$167,987
Department of Veterans Affairs 378 $134,822 $116,362–$150,370
Department of the Treasury 338 $138,024 $116,308–$155,788
Department of the Interior 231 $133,716 $116,048–$152,542
Department of Housing and Urban Development 203 $150,203 $136,976–$163,104
Department of Agriculture 197 $136,632 $117,250–$154,263
Department of Energy 158 $137,823 $121,785–$156,243
General Services Administration 116 $143,312 $118,991–$163,811
Environmental Protection Agency 111 $146,749 $120,912–$162,869
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 99 $147,524 $134,979–$167,902
Department of Commerce 92 $144,668 $130,931–$164,300
Department of Labor 76 $150,307 $122,539–$174,051
Department of Transportation 76 $152,344 $133,964–$177,497

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

Auditing pay by state

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

Auditing pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
District of Columbia 884 $154,263 $138,024–$182,295
Maryland 289 $146,143 $133,964–$163,104
Texas 284 $134,963 $119,824–$150,426
California 255 $149,448 $133,730–$168,544
Georgia 196 $135,069 $119,897–$150,744
Pennsylvania 179 $140,742 $121,645–$153,991
Illinois 169 $146,749 $126,917–$159,353
Colorado 165 $146,368 $130,543–$163,615
Virginia 146 $150,203 $133,964–$177,497
New York 139 $150,519 $129,612–$167,987

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

Compare auditing pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +1.5% from $140,181 in September 2025 to $142,259 in September 2026. Headcount went from 10,753 to 9,417 (−12.4%). 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.

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