Highest Paying Government Jobs

Highest Paying Government JobsHighest Paying Government Jobs The federal government has a vast variety of jobs available within it, but one thing they have in common is the potential for good pay. In 2017 , the average annual base salary for federal government workers was $84,913, and more than 95 percent were covered for retirement through the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement.The federal government is rather regimented in its approach to salaries and salary data collection. Jobs are typically paid according to 15 different pay grades , which each have 10 salary steps within them. This means the lowest paying job is grade 1, step 1, which pays $19,048 yearly, and the highest paying job is grade 15, step 10, which pays $138,572 per year, with small variations. The most-staffed agency is the Department of Defense, which accounts for 35 percent of the federal workforce, followed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which accoun ts for around 18 percent of federal workers.Believe it or not, the federal government is the largest employer in the United States, providing employment to more than 2 million civilian workers. Careers in the federal government ansturm the gamut from engineering to nursing to budget analysis. If youre considering a job in the private sector, its worth looking into opportunities for the same job within the government. Federal jobs typically offer substantial benefits, the opportunity for pensions and retirement help, and on top of that all, a good salary. Here weve compiled a list of highly paying jobs within the government.Glassdoor Salary Range $45,000 $183,000Air traffic controllers manage the flow of airplanes into and out of the airspace around an airport. They ensure that aircraft take off, land and travel through the skies safely, and in a timely manner. They also help guide pilots during landing and takeoff. Being an aircraft controller requires the ability to concentrate intensely for long periods of time, and to make quick, clear, decisive actions. There are a variety of paths that lead to becoming an air traffic controller, and not all of them require a college education. If you have air traffic controlling experience in the military, or if you attend an air traffic collegiate training initiative or have at least three years of progressively responsible work experience in the field - and then pass the Federal Aviation Administration pre-employment test and an bewerbungsinterview - you can still become an air traffic controller.Glassdoor Salary Range $60,000 $117,000Civil engineers design, construct and implement infrastructure projects in the public and private sector. The projects that civil engineers typically work on include roads, dams, bridges, building, airports and waste treatment facilities. Becoming a civil engineer requires at least a bachelors degree in the subject. While technically after this you can apply for professional engine er (PE) certification, typically civil engineers go on to complete a masters degree in the subject, or in some cases a Ph.D. Many states also require civil engineers to gain Engineer in Training (EIT) status before becoming employed or working as an intern.Glassdoor Salary Range $47,000 $87,000Budget analysts develop, execute and analyze budgets. They also make future forecasts for the budget needs of organizations, and create reports on the past effectiveness of an organizations budgets. Typically, budget analysts go into the profession with a bachelors degree, and sometimes a masters degree, in finance, accounting, economics or business.Glassdoor Salary Range $42,000 $87,000Human resources, or HR, managers are the administrative brains of an organization. They often take care of recruiting, interviewing and hiring new staff. They also work as a liaison between employees and an organizations management, and make sure that employees are listened to and taken care of. HR managers may not require a college degree, but typical fields to major in for HR managers are communications, psychology, business management and information technology.Glassdoor Salary Range $75,000 $154,000Computer scientist is a broad term that covers many job functions relating to programming software and using technology to solve problems. Computer scientists may have varying levels of education, ranging from a bachelors to a masters to a Ph.D. Although it is more uncommon, some computer scientists are self-taught.Glassdoor Salary Range $40,000 $77,000Accountants collect, analyze, organize and make use of the financial records of their clients. They help file taxes, create budgets, analyze past and future financial performance of an organization, and keep accounting records. Becoming an accountant typically requires a bachelors degree, and sometimes a masters degree, in accounting, as well as gaining licensure as a certified public accountant (CPA).Glassdoor Salary Range $43,000 $79,000An auditor reviews and analyzes the financial records and taxes of individuals, companies, organizations and government agencies. They check for errors, evaluate the organizations financial performance, check for proper documentation and ensure that financial statements and taxes are accurate. Becoming an auditor requires a bachelors degree in a relevant field, as well as certification.Glassdoor Salary Range $78,000 $206,000Many United States Government departments and agencies employ physicians, from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Central Intelligence Agency. The duties of a physician may vary widely depending on which department or agency he or she is working for. Becoming a physician is one of the most education-intensive career paths, requiring a bachelors degree, at least four years of medical school, successful completion of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and between three and seven years of residency training.Glassdoor Salary Range $57,000 $105,000Mechanical engineers are the brains behind the design, construction, implementation and continued use of machines such as electric generators, engines, steam and gas turbines, and the gamut of machines that we use and interact with on a daily basis. Mechanical engineers are employed in many different government agencies and departments, from the Army Corp of Engineers to the Environmental Protection Agency. Becoming a mechanical engineer requires a bachelors degree in the subject. While technically, after this, you can apply for professional engineer (PE) certification, often mechanical engineers go on to complete a masters degree in the subject, or in some cases a Ph.D. Some states also require mechanical engineers to gain Engineer in Training (EIT) status before becoming employed or working as an intern.There are many different types of jobs available in the federal government, depending on what youve studied and where your experience and interests lay. Once you gain employment within the federal government, tenure is typically rather long the average length of employment for full-time federal employees is 13.51 years. Careers in government can be rewarding because there is ample opportunity for advancement, and at the end of it all, generous retirement packages available. Government jobs can be found both on Glassdoor and on the government resource usajobs.gov .