PublicPay

Legal Instruments Examining federal salary series 0963

Full-time federal employees in the Legal Instruments Examining series earned a median of $75,059 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 32% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $62,749 and $81,560.

Median pay
$75,059
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$62,749–$81,560
25th–75th percentile
Employees
1,241
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+3.9%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Legal Instruments Examining
All federal (full-time)

What shapes legal instruments examining pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-9 (458 employees, median $77,687). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Justice (722 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Oklahoma ($82,802) and lowest in Texas ($60,751), 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 51% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Legal Instruments Examining pay by grade

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

Legal Instruments Examining pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-5 48 $48,163 $44,285–$50,228
GS-6 56 $54,302 $49,365–$57,266
GS-7 275 $68,893 $58,697–$75,059
GS-8 139 $68,537 $63,940–$73,965
GS-9 458 $77,687 $72,977–$87,105
FG-10 46 $79,295 $70,235–$83,825

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

Legal Instruments Examining pay by agency

Legal Instruments Examining pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Justice 722 $72,977 $54,857–$80,041
Department of Homeland Security 118 $68,681 $57,012–$80,041
Department of Transportation 111 $83,825 $79,122–$91,707
Department of Commerce 100 $75,059 $73,134–$75,059
Department of the Interior 98 $65,599 $55,506–$76,726
Department of Veterans Affairs 44 $70,280 $67,896–$75,101

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

Legal Instruments Examining pay by state

The 4 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Legal Instruments Examining pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Oklahoma 117 $82,802 $71,329–$88,356
Virginia 115 $75,059 $75,059–$77,687
West Virginia 82 $72,977 $59,661–$84,751
Texas 68 $60,751 $49,365–$76,237

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

Compare legal instruments examining pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +3.9% from $72,254 in September 2025 to $75,059 in September 2026. Headcount went from 1,480 to 1,241 (−16.1%). 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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