Laboring federal salary series 3502
Full-time federal employees in the Laboring series earned a median of $49,963 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 54% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $45,517 and $54,862.
What shapes laboring pay
The most common grade with published pay is WG-3 (515 employees, median $47,458). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of the Interior (563 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in New York ($56,119) and lowest in Texas ($43,180), 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 23% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).
Laboring pay by grade
Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.
| Pay plan–grade | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| WG-2 | 297 | $44,140 |
| WG-3 | 515 | $47,458 |
| WG-4 | 392 | $50,756 |
| WG-5 | 226 | $54,346 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Laboring pay by agency
| Agency | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Interior | 563 | $50,839 |
| Department of Agriculture | 318 | $49,671 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 248 | $48,544 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | 36 | $49,358 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Laboring pay by state
The 7 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.
| State | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 113 | $43,180 |
| New York | 104 | $56,119 |
| Arizona | 59 | $49,358 |
| California | 57 | $44,996 |
| District of Columbia | 50 | $53,177 |
| Washington | 44 | $54,638 |
| Virginia | 38 | $48,105 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Compare laboring pay across all states and agencies →
Change since September 2025
The median moved +2.1% from $48,919 in September 2025 to $49,963 in September 2026. Headcount went from 1,621 to 1,629 (+0.5%). 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.