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25 Highest Annual Salaries in Government

6) Computer Scientist – $90,929

Significant Points:
• Computer scientists work as theorists, researchers, or inventors. Their jobs are distinguished by the higher level of theoretical expertise and innovation they apply to complex problems and the creation or application of new technology.
• With the Internet and electronic business generating large volumes of data, there is a growing need to be able to store, manage, and extract data effectively. Database administrators work with database management systems software and determine ways to organize and store data.

Departments with High Demand:
• Department of the Navy
• Department of the Army
• Department of the Interior

Projected Growth: 37%

Employees Needed: 200,000

Average Education Level: Associates Degree or Higher

Internship Opportunities:
The National Security Agency offers a Summer Internship Program.

[Search for Computer Scientist Jobs by GS Series Number: 1550 ]

7) Chemist – $89,954

Significant Points:
• New chemists at all levels may experience competition for jobs, particularly in declining chemical manufacturing industries; graduates with a master’s degree, and particularly those with a Ph.D., will enjoy better opportunities at larger pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms.
• The use of computers to analyze complex data has allowed chemists and materials scientists to practice combinatorial chemistry.

Departments with High Demand:
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of the Navy

Projected Growth: 8%

Employees Needed: 8,500

Average Education Level:

Internship Opportunities:
The Seaborg Institute in the Chemistry, Materials, Earth, and Life Sciences Directorate (CMELS) offers a Summer Internship Opportunity.

[Search for Chemistry Jobs by GS Series Number: 1320]

8) Criminal Investigator – $88,174

Significant Points:
• Work hours are often irregular, and the work can be dangerous.
• Applicants typically have related experience in areas such as law enforcement, insurance, the military, or government investigative or intelligence jobs.

Departments with High Demand:
• Department of Justice
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Department of the Navy

Projected Growth: 18%

Employees Needed: 9,400

Average Education Level: College or Higher

Internship Opportunities:
The State of Maryland offers a Criminal Justice Internship Program.

[Search for Criminal Investigation Jobs by GS Series Number: 1811]

9) Microbiologist – $87,206

Significant Points:
• Most microbiologists specialize in environmental, food, agricultural, or industrial microbiology; virology (the study of viruses); immunology (the study of mechanisms that fight infections); or bioinformatics (the use of computers to handle or characterize biological information, usually at the molecular level).

Departments with High Demand:
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Department of the Army
• Department of the Navy

Projected Growth: 9%

Employees Needed: 8,000

Average Education Level: <a href=“http://govcentral.monster.com/content/education-resources’s Degree or ”http://govcentral.monster.com/content/education-resources">Higher

Internship Opportunities:
The US National Arboretum offers a 6 Month Internship Program.

[Search for Economist Jobs by GS Series Number: 0403]

10) Architect – $85,690

Significant Points:
• Licensing requirements include a professional degree in architecture, at least 3 years of practical work training, and passing all divisions of the Architect Registration Examination.
• Besides employment growth, additional job openings will arise from the need to replace the many architects who are nearing retirement

Departments with High Demand:
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Department of the Army
• Department of the Navy

Projected Growth: 18%

Employees Needed: 23,000

Education Level: In most States, the professional degree in architecture must be from one of the 114 schools of architecture that have degree programs accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.

Internship Opportunities:
The Port Authority offers a Architecture Internship Program.

[Search for Architecture Jobs by GS Series Number: 0808]

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