Federal employee salaries in California
Full-time federal civilian employees with a published duty station in California earned a median of
$110,357 in September 2026, about the same as the all-federal median of $109,641.
That ranks #13 of 51 (50 states and DC) by median pay.
Median pay
$110,357
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$75,967–$157,544
25th–75th percentile
Employees
78,903
with published duty station
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026 California
$58,827 10th $75,967 25th $110,357 Median $157,544 75th $202,341 90th
Time period September 2026 snapshot (as of September 30, 2026; published November 4, 2026)
Population Federal civilian employees whose duty station is published as California
Geography California (official worksite). Employees whose location OPM withheld are not included. Pay definition Annualized adjusted basic pay: base pay plus locality or special-rate supplement, after pay caps. Excludes bonuses, overtime, allowances and benefits. More Coverage
OPM published pay for 78,604 of 78,903 employees (99.6%).
Pay figures use the 72,359 full-time employees with published pay. Coverage details OPM withheld the duty-station location for 943,611 federal employees nationwide, including the entire Department of Defense civilian workforce and large parts of the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice. Those employees are not counted in any state, so state totals understate the federal presence, especially in states with large military installations.
Pay by occupation in California The 30 largest occupations in California with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay (196 qualify in total).
Federal pay by occupation in California Occupation Employees Median pay Middle 50% $0 $100K $200K $300K $400K Nurse Series 0610 8,147 $173,529 $151,308–$214,132 Medical Officer Series 0602 3,289 $319,727 $290,044–$370,674 Contact Representative Series 0962 2,986 $69,860 $61,779–$76,845 Social Insurance Administration Series 0105 2,902 $112,449 $98,672–$126,817 Forestry Technician Series 0462 2,813 $67,280 $58,335–$79,949 Medical Support Assistance Series 0679 2,695 $61,872 $58,122–$69,403 Miscellaneous Administration and Program Series 0301 2,668 $108,921 $89,964–$136,690 Wildland Fire Management Series 0456 2,086 $61,626 $51,426–$80,738 Social Work Series 0185 1,967 $133,812 $114,695–$149,106 Air Traffic Control Series 2152 1,932 $186,219 $131,388–$217,128 Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant Series 0303 1,763 $63,525 $55,786–$71,493 Management and Program Analysis Series 0343 1,646 $132,110 $105,808–$155,237 Practical Nurse Series 0620 1,604 $88,508 $81,332–$93,292 Nursing Assistant Series 0621 1,292 $66,430 $59,332–$73,913 Information Technology Management Series 2210 1,273 $141,582 $118,259–$172,899 General Attorney Series 0905 1,259 $189,725 $157,236–$197,200 Veterans Claims Examining Series 0996 1,194 $103,678 $87,162–$115,880 Tax Examining Series 0592 1,154 $58,602 $55,786–$65,523 Pharmacist Series 0660 1,109 $199,521 $183,897–$213,070 General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series 0401 1,069 $114,785 $93,358–$137,738 Psychology Series 0180 1,019 $175,265 $150,026–$197,200 Custodial Working Series 3566 968 $49,316 $45,288–$52,676 General Health Science Series 0601 957 $125,787 $105,031–$148,764 Human Resources Management Series 0201 868 $129,691 $107,828–$148,904 General Legal and Kindred Administration Series 0901 755 $87,451 $79,733–$100,315 General Business and Industry Series 1101 719 $124,154 $91,775–$155,237 Maintenance Mechanic Series 4749 708 $72,669 $58,165–$90,868 Health Aid and Technician Series 0640 685 $67,055 $60,505–$77,679 General Engineering Series 0801 634 $172,980 $146,366–$197,200 Transportation Specialist Series 2101 629 $127,966 $113,648–$145,876
Pay by agency in California Federal pay by agency in California Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50% $0 $100K $200K $300K Department of Veterans Affairs 36,633 $118,270 $76,381–$171,267 Department of Agriculture 8,482 $77,808 $61,824–$98,459 Department of the Interior 5,637 $91,181 $62,749–$123,087 Department of the Treasury 5,229 $70,645 $59,907–$102,372 Social Security Administration 5,064 $104,349 $84,689–$125,221 Department of Transportation 3,675 $151,520 $119,239–$197,411 Department of Homeland Security 2,552 $121,371 $95,863–$146,366 Department of Justice 1,845 $102,451 $87,128–$128,699 Department of Health and Human Services 1,761 $135,657 $109,063–$161,313 Department of Commerce 1,697 $136,495 $104,194–$181,766 National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1,578 $167,720 $136,495–$197,200 Environmental Protection Agency 685 $150,802 $123,087–$172,980 Department of Labor 573 $134,277 $114,875–$158,038 Small Business Administration 509 $99,583 $87,061–$128,987 General Services Administration 486 $138,007 $115,880–$159,673 Department of Energy 344 $163,996 $133,060–$189,026 Presidio Trust 311 $123,992 $100,357–$149,519 Department of Housing and Urban Development 308 $155,237 $136,495–$171,073 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 295 $213,835 $137,102–$257,500 Securities and Exchange Commission 263 $264,301 $228,784–$283,417 Department of State 213 $99,583 $90,389–$133,060 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 110 $141,850 $104,349–$175,962 National Labor Relations Board 105 $157,236 $104,819–$197,200 National Archives and Records Administration 86 $106,152 $72,814–$134,787 Department of Education 75 $156,650 $127,168–$180,194
Change since September 2025 The median moved +2.3% from $107,835 in September 2025 to $110,357 in September 2026. Headcount went from 84,998 to 78,903 (−7.2%). 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.
States with similar median federal pay All states ranked →