Fedweek

The number of career positions in the SES, the highest level to which career federal employees typically can aspire, held steady in 2017 versus 2016—increasing by 8 to 7,349—even as the total SES cadre, counting political appointees and limited time appointments, shrank from 8,172 to 7,906.

An OPM report shows further that the demographic makeup of the SES has changed relatively little in recent years, despite efforts to increase the representation of women and minorities. Men filled just under 66 percent of those positions in 2017 compared with just over 66 percent in 2013 and “not Hispanic/Latino & White” filled just above 79 percent versus just above 80 percent four years earlier.

The data also again show that SES members tend to be highly educated, with just 643 having less than a four-year college education and 5,413 having an advanced degree. The figures also reflect what typically is a long climb to reach that level, with average total federal service of 22.2 years, and average age of 54.6, both up slightly in recent years.

Average salary for an SES position in 2017 was $175,902 compared with $165,645 in 2013.

Of those who left, there was a spike in resignations in 2017 due to the turnover of political SES appointees, up about 600 to 825, while retirements increased by about 60 to 646. Only 15 SES members were “discharged,” although that number is the highest over the five-year period; in two of those years, there were only two.