Federal Physician — GS-0602 / Title 38. The verified average salary for GS-0602 Medical Officers is $300,715/year (OPM FedScope, 2026). Data from 33,006 non-redacted OPM records (April 2026).
The GS-0602 Medical Officer series showed 33,006 non-redacted federal employees in the April 2026 OPM snapshot. The verified average salary is $300,715/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: Title 38 (VA) / Special Rate (HHS/NIH). View occupation salary detail on OPM FedScope →
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| Metric | Value | Source & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Series Salary | $300,715 | OPM EHRI Snapshot (April 2026). 33,006 non-redacted records. Base + locality pay; excludes benefits. |
| Non-redacted records (sample size) | 33,006 | OPM EHRI Employment Snapshot, April 2026. REDACTED records excluded per OPM data release policy. |
| Redaction rate | 5.9% | OPM redacts salary records for privacy-sensitive positions (DoD, law enforcement, intelligence). FedTools suppresses series averages when redaction exceeds 20%. |
| Pay plan(s) | Title 38 (VA) / Special Rate (HHS/NIH) | Primary pay plan(s) used for this occupational series in the federal government. |
| Typical grades | VM-00 (VA); GS-14–GS-15 or SES (others) | 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 0602 occupational series based on OPM classification standards. Specific responsibilities vary by position and agency.
Average of $300,715 is accurate and verified. VA and HHS physicians are paid under the Title 38 special pay plan, which allows compensation well above the standard GS Executive Schedule cap ($197,200) to recruit and retain clinical physicians in competition with private-sector medicine. This is not an error — physician federal pay is explicitly authorized above the GS cap by statute. 5.9% redaction rate confirms the average is representative of the full federal physician workforce.
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.