PublicPay

Purchasing federal salary series 1105

Full-time federal employees in the Purchasing series earned a median of $57,188 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 48% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $52,177 and $63,241.

Median pay
$57,188
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$52,177–$63,241
25th–75th percentile
Employees
2,446
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
-0.6%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Purchasing
All federal (full-time)

What shapes purchasing pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-6 (1,360 employees, median $56,467). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Veterans Affairs (1,553 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Maryland ($78,857) and lowest in Tennessee ($52,142), 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 27% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Purchasing pay by grade

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

Purchasing pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-5 73 $46,137 $42,094–$51,599
GS-6 1,360 $56,467 $51,463–$60,600
GS-7 517 $61,163 $57,188–$65,599
GS-8 100 $72,644 $65,194–$78,857
GS-9 284 $76,128 $69,954–$81,553

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

Purchasing pay by agency

Purchasing pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Veterans Affairs 1,553 $56,568 $51,463–$61,163
Department of Agriculture 71 $67,896 $62,235–$72,486
Department of Homeland Security 63 $74,070 $66,702–$84,010
Department of Health and Human Services 63 $72,012 $61,528–$78,229

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

Purchasing pay by state

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

Purchasing pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Florida 157 $55,506 $50,460–$60,553
Texas 126 $55,506 $49,950–$62,235
California 94 $65,328 $57,058–$73,796
North Carolina 75 $56,901 $51,254–$61,476
Georgia 71 $58,698 $51,221–$62,255
New York 70 $60,178 $54,490–$65,112
Pennsylvania 70 $57,188 $53,372–$62,235
Ohio 69 $59,568 $54,268–$61,525
Virginia 58 $55,380 $51,463–$62,856
Illinois 49 $57,530 $52,977–$62,235

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

Compare purchasing pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved −0.6% from $57,547 in September 2025 to $57,188 in September 2026. Headcount went from 2,572 to 2,446 (−4.9%). 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.

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