Federal Soil Conservationist — GS-0457. The verified average salary for GS-0457 Soil Conservations is $89,053/year (OPM FedScope, 2026). Data from 4,107 non-redacted OPM records (April 2026).
The GS-0457 Soil Conservation series showed 4,107 non-redacted federal employees in the April 2026 OPM snapshot. The verified average salary is $89,053/year (OPM FedScope, 2026). Use our GS Pay Calculator for your exact salary by grade, step, and location.
Salary = base pay + locality pay; excludes benefits. REDACTED records (OPM data release policy) are excluded from averages. Pay plan: General Schedule (GS). View occupation salary detail on OPM FedScope →
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| Metric | Value | Source & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Series Salary | $89,053 | OPM EHRI Snapshot (April 2026). 4,107 non-redacted records. Base + locality pay; excludes benefits. |
| Non-redacted records (sample size) | 4,107 | OPM EHRI Employment Snapshot, April 2026. REDACTED records excluded per OPM data release policy. |
| Redaction rate | 0.1% | OPM redacts salary records for privacy-sensitive positions (DoD, law enforcement, intelligence). FedTools suppresses series averages when redaction exceeds 20%. |
| Pay plan(s) | General Schedule (GS) | Primary pay plan(s) used for this occupational series in the federal government. |
| Typical grades | GS-5 to GS-12 | Most common grade range for this series. Actual assignment depends on the position description and agency. |
| Locality pay | 17.06% – 44.15% | Varies by duty station across 58 OPM pay areas. Rate × base pay = locality supplement. Included in the average salary above. |
| Pay cap (2026) | $197,200 | Executive Schedule Level IV. Applies to GS employees whose locality-adjusted salary would exceed this amount. Title 38 and special pay plans may exceed this cap. |
Based on OPM EHRI Employment Snapshot (April 2026). Actual grade, step, and locality assignment varies by position and location.
Representative duties for the 0457 occupational series based on OPM classification standards. Specific responsibilities vary by position and agency.
Soil Conservationists form the core technical workforce of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA's primary field agency for agricultural conservation. They work directly with farmers, ranchers, and landowners to implement conservation practices that protect soil and water resources. With a 0.1% redaction rate — the lowest possible — this is among the most transparent series in the entire OPM dataset. The $89,053 average reflects the mid-range GS-9 to GS-11 clustering typical of experienced field conservationists in county NRCS offices nationwide.
Your actual pay depends on your GS grade, step, and duty station locality. Use our free calculator for an instant, accurate result.
annualized_adjusted_basic_pay field captures base pay + locality pay under all pay plans (GS, Title 38, special rates). REDACTED records are excluded per OPM data release policy. FedTools publishes series-specific averages only when the non-redacted sample is representative (redaction ≤ 20%, n ≥ 50). This page does not constitute financial or career advice. Always verify current pay rates with your agency HR office and OPM.gov.