PublicPay

General Physical Science federal salary series 1301

Full-time federal employees in the General Physical Science series earned a median of $142,712 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 30% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $118,210 and $174,716.

Median pay
$142,712
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$118,210–$174,716
25th–75th percentile
Employees
8,374
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+1.4%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
General Physical Science
All federal (full-time)

What shapes general physical science pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-13 (2,208 employees, median $133,964). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Environmental Protection Agency (2,017 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Maryland ($180,565) and lowest in Wisconsin ($101,443), 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 34% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

General Physical Science pay by grade

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

General Physical Science pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-7 40 $59,563 $56,409–$61,889
GS-9 168 $70,623 $67,100–$74,912
GS-11 363 $85,494 $82,174–$92,107
GS-12 1,325 $107,411 $101,443–$114,017
GS-13 2,208 $133,964 $125,104–$146,325
GS-14 1,063 $163,104 $152,456–$172,962
GS-15 737 $197,200 $184,760–$197,200
AD-4 64 $209,600 $206,274–$209,600
ES (ungraded) 94 $221,872 $211,967–$228,000
GG-14 96 $166,317 $156,994–$177,762
ZP-3 164 $115,000 $98,990–$124,450
ZP-4 396 $163,514 $143,625–$183,729
ZP-5 139 $197,200 $194,452–$197,200

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

General Physical Science pay by agency

General Physical Science pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Environmental Protection Agency 2,017 $134,500 $115,626–$154,682
Department of Commerce 1,029 $163,104 $133,142–$187,093
Department of the Interior 788 $113,378 $90,219–$136,840
Department of Energy 609 $159,337 $132,870–$186,987
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 388 $187,093 $164,347–$197,200
Department of Agriculture 184 $109,508 $92,107–$134,229
Department of Homeland Security 180 $156,699 $129,904–$187,093
Department of Justice 160 $163,104 $128,889–$187,093
Nuclear Regulatory Commission 116 $167,110 $133,964–$188,696
National Science Foundation 95 $209,600 $193,260–$209,600
Department of Health and Human Services 76 $143,038 $125,280–$170,662
Department of the Treasury 32 $133,964 $122,620–$153,509

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

General Physical Science pay by state

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

General Physical Science pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Maryland 856 $180,565 $146,143–$197,200
District of Columbia 710 $163,104 $133,964–$191,850
Colorado 414 $138,456 $119,761–$163,615
California 317 $146,366 $115,626–$177,083
Virginia 303 $160,154 $129,904–$197,200
North Carolina 272 $133,377 $114,852–$161,992
Illinois 249 $130,080 $106,731–$154,682
Pennsylvania 237 $136,833 $117,284–$160,389
Texas 227 $134,579 $107,038–$154,970
Washington 194 $134,162 $114,017–$153,582

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

Compare general physical science pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +1.4% from $140,778 in September 2025 to $142,712 in September 2026. Headcount went from 9,691 to 8,374 (−13.6%). 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 Physical Sciences Group