PublicPay

Geology federal salary series 1350

Full-time federal employees in the Geology series earned a median of $121,052 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 10% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $98,972 and $146,331.

Median pay
$121,052
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$98,972–$146,331
25th–75th percentile
Employees
1,221
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+2.4%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Geology
All federal (full-time)

What shapes geology pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-12 (368 employees, median $109,780). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of the Interior (656 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in District of Columbia ($150,203) and lowest in Idaho ($92,491), 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 30% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).

Geology pay by grade

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

Geology pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-9 51 $69,954 $67,896–$74,021
GS-11 212 $87,470 $82,148–$94,597
GS-12 368 $109,780 $102,816–$116,969
GS-13 352 $134,822 $127,725–$143,511
GS-14 130 $159,738 $150,935–$172,700
GS-15 62 $197,200 $187,287–$197,200

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

Geology pay by agency

Geology pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of the Interior 656 $123,087 $100,124–$149,896
Department of Agriculture 117 $98,955 $82,148–$113,198
Environmental Protection Agency 30 $132,339 $113,582–$141,605

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

Geology pay by state

The 9 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Geology pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Colorado 158 $122,631 $101,555–$148,784
California 95 $132,412 $108,536–$155,237
Virginia 70 $142,084 $122,899–$187,093
Louisiana 53 $143,208 $130,932–$159,575
Washington 47 $116,048 $105,447–$138,226
Alaska 45 $131,978 $104,580–$156,200
District of Columbia 37 $150,203 $133,964–$197,200
Idaho 35 $92,491 $77,168–$108,903
Arizona 32 $102,993 $88,372–$139,675

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

Compare geology pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +2.4% from $118,175 in September 2025 to $121,052 in September 2026. Headcount went from 1,413 to 1,221 (−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.

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