PublicPay

General Arts and Information federal salary series 1001

Full-time federal employees in the General Arts and Information series earned a median of $130,786 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 19% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $109,122 and $150,744.

Median pay
$130,786
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$109,122–$150,744
25th–75th percentile
Employees
2,793
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+1.8%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
General Arts and Information
All federal (full-time)

What shapes general arts and information pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-13 (751 employees, median $138,024). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Health and Human Services (637 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Maryland ($146,143) and lowest in Oregon ($68,870), 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 14% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

General Arts and Information pay by grade

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

General Arts and Information pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-5 87 $47,525 $44,809–$50,241
GS-7 86 $60,756 $57,178–$66,564
GS-9 117 $75,332 $69,793–$80,192
GS-11 303 $91,145 $85,816–$98,813
GS-12 594 $119,485 $112,657–$126,313
GS-13 751 $138,024 $129,904–$146,325
GS-14 404 $167,524 $158,306–$172,915
GS-15 109 $197,200 $186,207–$197,200
ZA-3 37 $113,800 $102,255–$133,142
ZA-4 38 $162,948 $144,101–$179,548

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

General Arts and Information pay by agency

General Arts and Information pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Health and Human Services 637 $142,084 $123,812–$159,612
U.S. Agency for Global Media 454 $133,142 $122,899–$149,494
Smithsonian Institution 230 $112,657 $91,815–$138,024
Department of Veterans Affairs 195 $94,597 $84,638–$122,191
Department of Agriculture 157 $51,463 $46,167–$58,871
Department of Homeland Security 134 $135,024 $125,845–$158,306
National Archives and Records Administration 111 $93,994 $70,068–$122,899
Department of Commerce 110 $139,495 $112,986–$163,514
Department of Justice 90 $138,024 $123,815–$158,322
Department of the Interior 82 $112,085 $93,981–$126,179
General Services Administration 48 $137,576 $120,241–$158,306

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

General Arts and Information pay by state

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

General Arts and Information pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
District of Columbia 947 $133,142 $119,485–$154,263
Georgia 368 $138,821 $123,812–$159,612
Maryland 325 $146,143 $122,899–$163,104
California 70 $78,809 $51,974–$134,201
Virginia 57 $140,426 $119,153–$154,263
Florida 49 $128,471 $112,804–$143,586
Pennsylvania 38 $111,053 $87,290–$132,923
Texas 37 $104,111 $90,177–$120,431
Oregon 37 $68,870 $48,281–$146,817
West Virginia 35 $112,657 $96,478–$126,313

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

Compare general arts and information pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +1.8% from $128,446 in September 2025 to $130,786 in September 2026. Headcount went from 3,362 to 2,793 (−16.9%). 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 Information and Arts Group