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USDA salaries
USDA salary estimate
$42,612yearly
Understanding USDA Salaries
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides a wide array of career opportunities, with salaries that reflect the diverse roles within the organization. As of 2025, the average salary is $42,612, but this figure varies significantly based on job function, location, and experience level. Positions in research and development tend to offer some of the highest salaries, reflecting the expertise required in these areas.
Salary by Location
Salaries at USDA also fluctuate by geographic location. For instance, employees in major metropolitan areas may earn higher wages compared to those in rural regions. This variance is often due to the cost of living and demand for specific positions in different areas.
Departmental Insights
Each department within USDA has its own salary structure, with some areas, such as environmental sciences, offering more competitive pay. Understanding these factors can help prospective job seekers gauge their potential earnings and make informed career choices.
Highest paying jobs at USDA
The highest paying jobs at USDA are senior java developer, information technology specialist, researcher, and public health veterinarian. Senior java developer jobs at USDA earn an average yearly salary of $91,958, USDA information technology specialist jobs average $78,575, and USDA researcher jobs average $75,382.
The lowest paying USDA roles include student worker and office clerk. USDA student worker average salary is $25,275 per year. So while the average USDA salary is $42,612 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.
Highest paying jobs at USDA
| Rank | Job title | Average USDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senior Java Developer | $91,958 | $44.21 |
| 2 | Information Technology Specialist | $78,575 | $37.78 |
| 3 | Researcher | $75,382 | $36.24 |
| 4 | Public Health Veterinarian | $75,027 | $36.07 |
| 5 | Agricultural Economist | $75,013 | $36.06 |
| 6 | Molecular Biologist | $73,817 | $35.49 |
| 7 | Research Chemist | $73,062 | $35.13 |
| 8 | Program Manager | $67,950 | $32.67 |
| 9 | Civil Engineer | $66,202 | $31.83 |
| 10 | Project Manager | $64,358 | $30.94 |
| 11 | Human Resource Specialist | $62,915 | $30.25 |
| 12 | Budget Analyst | $60,558 | $29.11 |
| 13 | Consultant | $59,534 | $28.62 |
| 14 | Management Analyst | $59,401 | $28.56 |
| 15 | Soil Scientist | $58,758 | $28.25 |
| 16 | Wildlife Biologist | $58,191 | $27.98 |
| 17 | Fire Fighter | $58,107 | $27.94 |
| 18 | Supervisor | $57,876 | $27.83 |
| 19 | Soil Conservationist | $56,027 | $26.94 |
| 20 | Agricultural Engineer | $52,832 | $25.40 |
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How much does USDA pay by location?
Highest paying USDA locations
| Rank | Location | Average USDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $52,034 | $25.02 |
| 2 | Orient, NY | $50,324 | $24.19 |
| 3 | Burlington, VT | $47,261 | $22.72 |
| 4 | Albany, CA | $46,906 | $22.55 |
| 5 | Beltsville, MD | $46,401 | $22.31 |
| 6 | Saint Paul, MN | $43,820 | $21.07 |
| 7 | Mandan, ND | $42,958 | $20.65 |
| 8 | East Peoria, IL | $42,927 | $20.64 |
| 9 | East Lansing, MI | $42,785 | $20.57 |
| 10 | Fort Collins, CO | $42,254 | $20.31 |
| 11 | Hilo, HI | $42,185 | $20.28 |
| 12 | Madison, WI | $42,086 | $20.23 |
| 13 | Boise, ID | $40,058 | $19.26 |
| 14 | Clay Center, NE | $40,000 | $19.23 |
| 15 | Saint Louis, MO | $39,979 | $19.22 |
| 16 | Lubbock, TX | $39,703 | $19.09 |
| 17 | Las Cruces, NM | $39,465 | $18.97 |
| 18 | Maricopa, AZ | $39,354 | $18.92 |
| 19 | Logan, UT | $39,100 | $18.80 |
| 20 | Bowling Green, KY | $38,592 | $18.55 |
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USDA salaries by department
Salaries at USDA vary depending on the department you work in. USDA salaries in the engineering department are the highest with an average salary of $63,498. Employees in the marketing department at USDA receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $58,329 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at USDA include the administrative and the customer service organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $36,703 and $38,472, respectively.
Average USDA salary by department
| Rank | Department | Average USDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering | $63,498 | $30.53 |
| 2 | Marketing | $58,329 | $28.04 |
| 3 | IT | $56,661 | $27.24 |
| 4 | Finance | $53,478 | $25.71 |
| 5 | Plant/Manufacturing | $48,726 | $23.43 |
| 6 | Hospitality/Service | $47,921 | $23.04 |
| 7 | Healthcare | $46,777 | $22.49 |
| 8 | Non Profit/Government | $46,259 | $22.24 |
| 9 | Human Resources | $46,223 | $22.22 |
| 10 | Research & Development | $43,550 | $20.94 |
| 11 | Facilities | $41,955 | $20.17 |
| 12 | Agriculture | $40,447 | $19.45 |
| 13 | Customer Service | $38,472 | $18.50 |
| 14 | Administrative | $36,704 | $17.65 |
How much does USDA pay by department?
Best paying USDA research & development salaries
| Rank | Position | Average USDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Researcher | $75,382 | $36.24 |
| 2 | Molecular Biologist | $73,817 | $35.49 |
| 3 | Plant Pathologist | $70,183 | $33.74 |
| 4 | Entomologist | $61,134 | $29.39 |
| 5 | Soil Scientist | $58,758 | $28.25 |
| 6 | Botanist | $58,368 | $28.06 |
| 7 | Wildlife Biologist | $58,191 | $27.98 |
| 8 | Agronomist | $58,133 | $27.95 |
| 9 | Hydrologist | $57,596 | $27.69 |
| 10 | Chemist | $57,315 | $27.56 |
| 11 | Doctoral Fellow | $49,466 | $23.78 |
| 12 | Wildlife Health Specialist | $49,188 | $23.65 |
| 13 | Research Internship | $44,929 | $21.60 |
| 14 | Research Assistant | $40,566 | $19.50 |
| 15 | Biological Technician | $39,591 | $19.03 |
| 16 | Biological Science Aid | $39,012 | $18.76 |
| 17 | Laboratory Assistant | $38,067 | $18.30 |
| 18 | Laboratory Technician | $32,299 | $15.53 |
Best paying USDA administrative salaries
| Rank | Position | Average USDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Administrative Officer | $54,534 | $26.22 |
| 2 | Secretary | $50,233 | $24.15 |
| 3 | Project Management Internship | $42,553 | $20.46 |
| 4 | Administrative Assistant | $38,578 | $18.55 |
| 5 | Office Automation Clerk | $36,171 | $17.39 |
| 6 | Office Assistant | $35,757 | $17.19 |
| 7 | Clerical Specialist | $34,328 | $16.50 |
| 8 | Student Internship | $32,335 | $15.55 |
| 9 | Data Entry Associate | $32,253 | $15.51 |
| 10 | Receptionist | $31,860 | $15.32 |
| 11 | Data Entry Clerk | $31,633 | $15.21 |
| 12 | Clerical Worker | $28,636 | $13.77 |
| 13 | Student Worker | $25,276 | $12.15 |
Best paying USDA agriculture salaries
| Rank | Position | Average USDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meat Grader | $52,763 | $25.37 |
| 2 | Food Inspector | $44,802 | $21.54 |
| 3 | Consumer Safety Inspector | $43,477 | $20.90 |
| 4 | Forest Technician | $38,532 | $18.52 |
| 5 | Forestry Technician | $37,570 | $18.06 |
| 6 | Forestry Aide | $34,947 | $16.80 |
USDA competitors’ average salaries
Average salaries at USDA competitors, like Southern Nevada Water Authority, City of Hope, and U.S. Department of State, vary. Southern Nevada Water Authority employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $62,469. The average salary at City of Hope is $60,515 per year, and the average salary at U.S. Department of State is $60,373 per year.
Highest paying USDA competitors
| Rank | Company name | Zippia score | Average salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Nevada Water Authority | 4.1 | $62,469 |
| 2 | City of Hope | 3.9 | $60,515 |
| 3 | U.S. Department of State | 4.5 | $60,373 |
| 4 | Texas Commission on Fire Protection | 4.1 | $58,625 |
| 5 | U.S. Department of Commerce | 4.2 | $56,607 |
| 6 | National Forest Foundation | 4.1 | $53,678 |
| 7 | Wildlife International | 4.3 | $52,439 |
| 8 | California Department of Technology | 4.4 | $50,564 |
| 9 | Ministry of Finance and Economic Development | 4.1 | $48,429 |
| 10 | Bureau of Land Management | 4.5 | $47,563 |
| 11 | New Mexico Fish & Wildlife Conservation | 4.1 | $44,560 |
| 12 | Natural Resources Conservation Service | 4.5 | $44,374 |
| 13 | U.S. Department of the Interior | 4.8 | $43,882 |
| 14 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 4.5 | $40,921 |
| 15 | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 3.8 | $40,548 |
| 16 | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 4.4 | $37,797 |
| 17 | North Carolina Department of Commerce | 4.2 | $36,851 |
| 18 | Wisconsin Department of Transportation | 4.7 | $35,805 |
| 19 | New Mexico | 3.7 | $34,354 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania Department of Transportation | 4.0 | $31,019 |
What employees say about salary at USDA
It’s located in the city of Lawrenceburg.
The work load is unreasonable and the job you are hired for is not necessarily the job you will continue to do.
The healthcare benefits offer excellent options.
Great team support, great pay, and familiar easy work to do
Poor Leadership and unpredictable work flow everyday
Like Early hours
Need more remote/virtual opportunities
No favorite perks, but matching 401k maybe one
Like Early hours
Need more remote/virtual opportunities
No favorite perks, but matching 401k maybe one
Frequently asked questions about USDA salaries
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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of USDA, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about USDA. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at USDA. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by USDA. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of USDA and its employees or that of Zippia.
USDA may also be known as or be related to U.S. Deoartment of Agriculture, USDA and Usda.