- Sixty-four jobs in the federal government pay salaries of $200,000 or more, with some reaching $400,000.
- According to the Handshake report, federal employers have increased the number of job openings by 22% over the past year.
- While higher-paying positions often reflect seniority, many government jobs offer a linear path to advancement.
Many people join the federal government not for the money, but for the job security. However, some federal jobs can offer both.
According to data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 64 federal occupations have positions that pay more than $200,000, with some positions paying as much as $400,000.
As opportunities in the public sector expand and layoffs occur in certain industries such as technology, interest in government jobs continues to grow.
Federal employers increased their job openings by 22% on Wednesday. handshake According to a report released by the employment platform in January, the past year's performance is as follows: Additionally, federal employers saw a 55% increase in the number of applications filed during the same period.
Although you may not earn as much as you would in the same position in the private sector, a civil service job offers additional benefits that you probably wouldn't get in a corporate job, such as a pension or a flexible schedule. .
Although most high-paying roles reflect seniority level, many government careers have a linear path to promotion due to the general schedule pay scale, a tier system used in many government agencies. is provided.
We've highlighted some of the highest paying jobs and included some recent listings so you can see the latest salaries for open positions.
Using the code in parentheses: find government job in the listed categories.
Medical Role (0602, 0610, 0680, 0660, 0668)
Positions in the medical officer category can earn more than $300,000. According to OPM data, nearly 12,400 people earn more than $300,000 as health care workers (0602). Other high-paying jobs in the medical field include specialist doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and nurses.
Currently, oncologist doctors are listed on usajobs.gov for $400,000 a year, which is equivalent to what the president makes.
Lawyer (0905)
According to OPM data, 3,156 federal lawyers earn between $200,000 and $299,999. There are currently 245 public listings under the General Attorney category code on usajobs.gov. The highest paid public listing for attorneys in this category has a starting salary of $193,819 for her, while a circuit officer position is available for $243,300 for her.
Financial institution examination (0570)
Job titles in this category range from national bank examiners to anti-money laundering examiners. These roles also typically include working with agencies such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Department of the Treasury. According to OPM data, the person who fills this position earns just under $300,000.
There are currently 55 positions in this category, with the highest position having a starting salary of $180,564.
IT management (2210)
This category includes leadership-level IT specialists. These positions span all types of departments, and according to OPM data, 941 people in these positions earn more than $200,000, and about 7% of them earn between $260,000 and more. earns $279,999.
The highest paying open job in this category is Director of Workforce Collaboration at NASA, with a starting salary listed at $205,236.
Natural Resource Management and General Biological Sciences (0401)
This category includes a wide range of roles related to science. The public list includes biologists from the FDA, fire management experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and social scientists from the Forest Service. According to OPM, there are currently 319 federal employees who earn more than $200,000 in this position.
The highest position available is the Deputy Commissioner position with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, with a salary range up to $210,220.
General Engineering (0801)
According to OPM data, the highest paid employees in this category earn between $200,000 and $219,999. Some of these positions may include research positions or general engineering roles, but the higher-paying positions are more senior in this field.
The highest-paying open job is Deputy Director at Marshall Space Flight Center, with a starting salary of $211,584.
Human resources management (0201)
Human resources management is an umbrella term for all HR specialist positions. The highest prices in this category range from $260,000 to $279,999.
Currently, the highest paid listing on usajobs.com is Chief Advisor HR Specialist at the National Science Foundation with a starting salary of $163,964.
Air traffic control (2152)
Air traffic control personnel earn the most annually between $200,000 and $219,999, but other fields may have higher salary ranges. According to OPM employment data, 2,079 air traffic workers are paid in this tier.
Usajobs.gov shows three listings with starting salaries over $200,000. The Supervisory Air Traffic Control Specialist position could be the highest-paying job ever, with salaries ranging from $205,317 to $221,900 per year.
