The most recent data indicate that federal employees in some states receive higher average salaries than in other states (Washington, DC comes out on top), that some racial groups make a higher average salary than others, and that men, on average, make more than women in the federal workforce.
Which agencies have the highest average salaries? Are there significant differences?
The data are based on information provided by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) detailing individual employee salaries for fiscal year (fy) 2015. The data do not include all federal employees as some are excluded from the list for various reasons.
Here are the top 10 agencies with the highest average salaries:
| Agency | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Securities and Exchange Commission | $173,587 |
| Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation | $166,720 |
| Federal Housing Finance Agency | $161,102 |
| Commodity Futures Trading Commission | $152,622 |
| Arctic Research Commission | $149,073 |
| National Center for Vet Analysis and Statistics | $147,317 |
| National Council on Disability | $141,218 |
| Medicare Payment Advisory Commission | $140,995 |
| Immediate Office of the Administrator | $137,043 |
| Ames Research Center | $135,420 |
For comparison purposes, here are the 10 agencies with the lowest average salaries using the same database. Some of these are small organizations with which many readers are not familiar. Others, such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Forest Service, may be a surprise to some.
| Agency | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| National Institute for Literacy | $26,088 |
| Advisory Councils and Committees | $29,817 |
| Goldwater School and Excellence in Education | $31,118 |
| Valles Caldera Trust | $50,348 |
| Bureau of the Census | $50,849 |
| Transportation Security Administration | $52,269 |
| Commission on International Religious Freedom | $53,161 |
| Agricultural Marketing Service | $53,894 |
| Forest Service | $54,750 |
| National Cemetery Administration | $56,874 |
Closely related to salaries are bonus payments. Some federal employees received a substantial bonus in addition to their salaries.
Using the same database, here is a list of the highest bonuses paid in fiscal year 2015 to federal employees. One agency finished with three employees in the top 10. Bonus information can be sorted in the database from highest to lowest by clicking in the bonus column at FedsDataCenter.com.
| Agency | Occupation | Location | Award | Adjusted Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Housing Finance Agency | Administration | Washington | $147,804 | $263,925 |
| Presidio Trust | Program Management | San Francisco | $140,000 | $245,000 |
| Headquarters, NASA | General Engineering | Hampton | $81,550 | $235,300 |
| Immigration and Customs Enforcement | Criminal Investigation | $64,155 | $183,300 | |
| Fish & Wildlife Service | Fish and Wildlife Administration | Washington | $64,155 | $183,300 |
| Dept. of Energy | Program Management | Aiken | $64,155 | $183,300 |
| Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services | Medical Officer | Woodlawn | $64,155 | $183,300 |
| Dept. of Energy | Program Management | Portland | $64,155 | $183,300 |
| Food and Drug Administration | Administration | Rockville | $64,155 | $183,300 |
| Dept. of Energy | Administration | Washington | $64,155 | $183,300 |
