PublicPay

Food Inspection federal salary series 1863

Full-time federal employees in the Food Inspection series earned a median of $60,553 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 45% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $55,506 and $65,599.

Median pay
$60,553
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$55,506–$65,599
25th–75th percentile
Employees
301
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+4.2%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Food Inspection
All federal (full-time)

What shapes food inspection pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-7 (299 employees, median $60,553). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Agriculture (301 employees). Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

Food Inspection pay by grade

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

Food Inspection pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-7 299 $60,553 $55,506–$65,599

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

Food Inspection pay by agency

Food Inspection pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Agriculture 301 $60,553 $55,506–$65,599

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

Food Inspection pay by state

The 1 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Food Inspection pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
California 38 $65,930 $64,239–$74,648

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

Change since September 2025

The median moved +4.2% from $58,117 in September 2025 to $60,553 in September 2026. Headcount went from 628 to 301 (−52.1%). 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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