U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) / Department of Education / General Attorney

Job-title file

General Attorney

Provide legal advice, draft and review documents, and represent the agency in legal matters.

588 employees hold this title in Department of Education. Median total compensation for the role is $147,176, above the department median of $144,712.

Employees: 588
Total payroll: $86.6M
Role median: $147,176
Agency median: $144,712
Comparison: Above

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$72,553$195,509+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 588 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compared with the local labor market

General Attorney pay vs. the United States

Across all employers in the United States, the median wage for Lawyers — about 754,500 people — is $159,670. Department of Education pays a median base salary of $146,352 for this role, 8% below that figure — about the 44th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Department of Education sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$78,360

$102,990

$159,670

$221,370

$351,600

Department of Education median · $146,352

The bar is the range of annual wages for Lawyers across every employer in the United States, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Department of Education’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

Median total compensation for this role at Department of Education is $147,176, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)

General Attorney is held in 98 U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) departments. In Department of Education, the median of $147,176 ranks #90 of 98.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation

$322,736 · 2

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

$252,927 · 273

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

$251,693 · 354

Securities and Exchange Commission

$233,730 · 2,163

Federal Reserve System

$216,602 · 375

National Science Foundation

$203,415 · 32

Presidio Trust

$200,888 · 4

Federal Permitting Improvement Steer

$197,900 · 3

Denali Commission

$191,900 · 1

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

$191,900 · 5

Department of Treasury

$191,900 · 392

Department of State

$191,900 · 325

Median total compensation for the General Attorney role in other U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)departments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Compare jurisdictions

General Attorney beyond U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense)

This role is reported in 2 jurisdictions. In U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense), the median of $178,914 ranks #1 of 2. See General Attorney across all of U.S. Federal Government (non-Defense) →

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

New York Public Authorities

$124,825 · 8

Median total compensation for comparable General Attorneyroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Levon Schlichter

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$189,324

Sub-department: Office of the General Counsel
Base pay: $185,824
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $189,324
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Fairfax
Work county: Fairfax
Work state: Virginia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $185,824
Basic Pay (before locality): $139,445
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 510900600
Length of Service (Years): 16
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Levon Schlichter works as a General Attorney for Department of Education based in Fairfax, Virginia. Levon earned $189,324 in 2024. Their pay grade is 15.

Gregory Mcghee

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$189,179

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $187,379
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,800
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $189,179
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Dallas
Work county: Dallas
Work state: Texas

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $187,379
Basic Pay (before locality): $147,647
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 481730113
Length of Service (Years): 14
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Gregory Mcghee works as a General Attorney for Department of Education based in Dallas, Texas. Gregory earned $189,179 in 2024. Their pay grade is 15.

Kettle Dunne

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$187,773

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $187,773
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $187,773
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Seattle
Work county: King
Work state: Washington

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $187,773
Basic Pay (before locality): $143,546
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 531960033
Length of Service (Years): 12
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Kettle Dunne holds the role of General Attorney at Department of Education based in Seattle, Washington. In 2024, their total compensation was $187,773. Their pay grade is 15.

Alan Konig

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$187,598

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $187,598
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $187,598
Pay grade: 14
Work city: San Francisco
Work county: San Francisco
Work state: California

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $187,598
Basic Pay (before locality): $129,013
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 063290075
Length of Service (Years): 22
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Alan Konig holds the role of General Attorney at Department of Education based in San Francisco, California. In 2024, their total compensation was $187,598. Their pay grade is 14.

Traci Ext

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$187,148

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $185,148
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $2,000
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $187,148
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Cleveland
Work county: Cuyahoga
Work state: Ohio

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $185,148
Basic Pay (before locality): $151,748
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 391680035
Length of Service (Years): 22
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Traci Ext works as a General Attorney for Department of Education based in Cleveland, Ohio. Traci earned $187,148 in 2024. Their pay grade is 15.

Lara Kaufmann

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$187,030

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $181,216
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $5,814
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $187,030
Pay grade: 14
Work city: Washington
Work county: District of Columbia
Work state: District of Columbia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $181,216
Basic Pay (before locality): $135,987
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 110010001
Length of Service (Years): 10
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Education, Lara Kaufmann serves as a General Attorney based in Washington, District of Columbia. Their 2024 pay totaled $187,030. They are classified at grade 14.

William Poorten

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$186,629

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $186,629
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $186,629
Pay grade: 14
Work city: Dobbs Ferry
Work county: Westchester
Work state: New York

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $186,629
Basic Pay (before locality): $135,987
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 361550119
Length of Service (Years): 16
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Education, William Poorten serves as a General Attorney based in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Their 2024 pay totaled $186,629. They are classified at grade 14.

David Hensel

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$186,324

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $185,824
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $500
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $186,324
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Washington
Work county: District of Columbia
Work state: District of Columbia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $185,824
Basic Pay (before locality): $139,445
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 110010001
Length of Service (Years): 19
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

David Hensel works as a General Attorney for Department of Education based in Washington, District of Columbia. David earned $186,324 in 2024. Their pay grade is 15.

Kristi Harris

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$185,824

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $185,824
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $185,824
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Washington
Work county: District of Columbia
Work state: District of Columbia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $185,824
Basic Pay (before locality): $139,445
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 110010001
Length of Service (Years): 16
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Education, Kristi Harris serves as a General Attorney based in Washington, District of Columbia. Their 2024 pay totaled $185,824. They are classified at grade 15.

Mathew Nosanchuk

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$185,824

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $185,824
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $185,824
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Washington
Work county: District of Columbia
Work state: District of Columbia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $185,824
Basic Pay (before locality): $139,445
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 110010001
Length of Service (Years): 14
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Education, Mathew Nosanchuk serves as a General Attorney based in Washington, District of Columbia. Their 2024 pay totaled $185,824. They are classified at grade 15.

Joshua Schopf

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$185,824

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $185,824
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $185,824
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Washington
Work county: District of Columbia
Work state: District of Columbia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $185,824
Basic Pay (before locality): $139,445
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 110010001
Length of Service (Years): 8
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Joshua Schopf holds the role of General Attorney at Department of Education based in Washington, District of Columbia. In 2024, their total compensation was $185,824. Their pay grade is 15.

Rachel Peternith

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$185,824

Sub-department: Office of the General Counsel
Base pay: $185,824
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $185,824
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Lewisberry
Work county: York
Work state: Pennsylvania

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $185,824
Basic Pay (before locality): $139,445
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 424409133
Length of Service (Years): 15
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Education, Rachel Peternith serves as a General Attorney based in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania. Their 2024 pay totaled $185,824. They are classified at grade 15.

Kristina Spencer

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$185,824

Sub-department: Office of the General Counsel
Base pay: $185,824
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $185,824
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Washington
Work county: District of Columbia
Work state: District of Columbia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $185,824
Basic Pay (before locality): $139,445
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 110010001
Length of Service (Years): 13
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Education, Kristina Spencer serves as a General Attorney based in Washington, District of Columbia. Their 2024 pay totaled $185,824. They are classified at grade 15.

Brian Gnandt

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$185,148

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $185,148
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $185,148
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Cleveland
Work county: Cuyahoga
Work state: Ohio

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $185,148
Basic Pay (before locality): $151,748
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 391680035
Length of Service (Years): 10
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Brian Gnandt is a General Attorney at Department of Education based in Cleveland, Ohio. 2024 total compensation came to $185,148. They are classified at grade 15.

Bradley Burke

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$184,915

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $184,915
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $184,915
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Shawnee
Work county: Johnson
Work state: Kansas

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $184,915
Basic Pay (before locality): $155,849
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 205090091
Length of Service (Years): 5
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Education, Bradley Burke serves as a General Attorney based in Shawnee, Kansas. Their 2024 pay totaled $184,915. They are classified at grade 15.

Beth Gellman-Beer

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$184,528

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $184,528
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $184,528
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Philadelphia
Work county: Philadelphia
Work state: Pennsylvania

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $184,528
Basic Pay (before locality): $143,546
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 426540101
Length of Service (Years): 17
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Beth Gellman-Beer holds the role of General Attorney at Department of Education based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2024, their total compensation was $184,528. Their pay grade is 15.

Ramzi Ajami

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$184,026

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $184,026
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $184,026
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Wellesley
Work county: Norfolk
Work state: Massachusetts

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $184,026
Basic Pay (before locality): $139,445
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 251382021
Length of Service (Years): 13
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Ramzi Ajami holds the role of General Attorney at Department of Education based in Wellesley, Massachusetts. In 2024, their total compensation was $184,026. Their pay grade is 15.

Nana Little

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$183,851

Sub-department: Office of the General Counsel
Base pay: $183,851
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $183,851
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Claremont
Work county: Los Angeles
Work state: California

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $183,851
Basic Pay (before locality): $135,344
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 060720037
Length of Service (Years): 11
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Nana Little works as a General Attorney for Department of Education based in Claremont, California. Nana earned $183,851 in 2024. Their pay grade is 15.

Sara Berman

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$183,277

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $182,527
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $750
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $183,277
Pay grade: 14
Work city: San Francisco
Work county: San Francisco
Work state: California

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $182,527
Basic Pay (before locality): $125,526
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 063290075
Length of Service (Years): 18
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

At Department of Education, Sara Berman serves as a General Attorney based in San Francisco, California. Their 2024 pay totaled $183,277. They are classified at grade 14.

Scott Sausser

General Attorney/Department of Education

2024 total comp

$183,270

Sub-department: Office for Civil Rights
Base pay: $182,270
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,000
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $183,270
Pay grade: 15
Work city: Atlanta
Work county: Fulton
Work state: Georgia

Source-specific fields

Adjusted Basic Pay (incl. locality): $182,270
Basic Pay (before locality): $147,647
Country: United States
Duty Station Code: 130280121
Length of Service (Years): 17
Occupation Code (OPM): 0905
Pay Plan (OPM): GS

Scott Sausser holds the role of General Attorney at Department of Education based in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2024, their total compensation was $183,270. Their pay grade is 15.