Best-Paying Jobs in Government (May 2025 BLS Wage Data)
- The median wage across all jobs in government was $69,080 in May 2025, above the $50,980 median for all U.S. jobs.
- The sector employed about 10,242,890 wage and salary workers.
- Its best-paid large occupation was architectural and engineering managers, at a median of $159,990.
Pay depends on what you do and on who you do it for. This breakdown uses the BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025 (NAICS sector 99: Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)) to show which jobs pay best in government, which jobs are open to people without a four-year degree, and what the most common jobs pay. Education levels come from BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35. In OEWS, this “government” sector covers federal, state and local government but excludes public schools, public hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service, which are counted with their industries.
Highest-paying jobs in the sector
Occupations with at least 5,000 jobs in the sector, ranked by median annual wage. The last column is the median for the same job across all industries (from the national cross-industry estimates).
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | All-industry median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $159,990 | 17,120 | $171,270 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $155,040 | 20,740 | $148,080 |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $153,990 | 24,030 | $153,990 |
| Pharmacists | $153,650 | 9,550 | $140,910 |
| Purchasing Managers | $151,300 | 10,210 | $148,080 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $146,540 | 31,640 | $175,140 |
| Chief Executives | $145,920 | 22,130 | $213,990 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $142,630 | 9,530 | $134,960 |
| Financial Managers | $139,840 | 51,230 | $166,570 |
| General and Operations Managers | $137,990 | 144,690 | $105,770 |
Best-paying jobs here without a bachelor’s degree
Occupations where BLS lists a high school diploma, certificate, some college or an associate’s degree as typical for entry:
| Occupation | Sector median | Jobs in sector | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Controllers | $155,040 | 20,740 | Associate's degree |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $121,650 | 16,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $106,920 | 149,820 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $100,920 | 9,440 | Associate's degree |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $95,200 | 7,100 | Associate's degree |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $94,480 | 95,360 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $93,710 | 113,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Transportation Inspectors | $93,420 | 11,220 | High school diploma or equivalent |
The most common jobs in the sector
| Occupation | Median | Jobs | Share of sector jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,520 | 642,460 | 6.27% |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $59,470 | 362,970 | 3.54% |
| Firefighters | $60,050 | 323,330 | 3.16% |
| Office Clerks, General | $48,400 | 238,880 | 2.33% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $49,730 | 182,040 | 1.78% |
| Management Analysts | $97,070 | 177,300 | 1.73% |
| Court, Municipal, and License Clerks | $48,880 | 176,440 | 1.72% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $50,550 | 175,200 | 1.71% |
What this means for your pay
- Same job, different industry, different pay. Compare the sector median with the all-industry median for your job. If your sector pays below the national figure, the same skills may earn more elsewhere.
- Medians, not starting pay. Half of workers earn more than the median and half less; new hires usually start lower.
- Base wages only. OEWS excludes overtime, tips and most bonuses, so jobs with heavy overtime often pay more in practice.
Published October 28, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
For contrast, from the same survey: the lowest-paid occupation in this sector with at least 20,000 jobs was amusement and recreation attendants, at a median of $33,590 ($16.15 an hour) across 43,130 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS industry data, May 2025.
— JobPayRaise Data Desk