Records analyzed
1 sub-agencies
Cross-joined with state geography and occupational mix
OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce
Surface Transportation Board
Headcount, average pay, length of service, sub-agencies, and hiring trends for Surface Transportation Board, drawn directly from the OPM FedScope federal workforce dataset (March 2025).
The verdict
Surface Transportation Board is a smaller federal agency: 126 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) across 1 states (including DC). At an average salary of $170,055 it pays well above the federal average of $109,869, and headcount grew 4.1% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 126
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $170,055
- States present
- 1
Federal workforce data for Surface Transportation Board. This agency represents 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce. Source: OPM FedScope, March 2025.
What the Numbers Say About Surface Transportation Board
Surface Transportation Board employs 126 federal civilian workers, which accounts for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 reported in the OPM FedScope March 2025 release. Compared to the prior period, headcount moved up by 4.1%, a signal that hiring authorities and attrition at this agency are adding net positions during the current reporting window.
Average length of service at Surface Transportation Board is 16.2 years, spread across its 1 sub-agencies, a retention signal: longer-tenured workforces tend to hold deeper institutional knowledge, while shorter tenure points to faster cycling through early-career hires. For applicants weighing federal employers, that tenure pattern is as telling as headline pay (how this agency's salary compares to the federal average is broken down in Salary Analysis below).
Geographic reach is another signal of scale: Surface Transportation Board has employees in 1 states (including DC), with the largest concentration in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (120 employees at $171,288 avg salary). Over the most recent 0 months of workforce-dynamics data, the agency recorded 0 accessions against 0 separations for a net change of +0 positions, useful context for job seekers evaluating whether Surface Transportation Board is expanding, contracting, or simply replacing departures. All figures draw directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes and update semi-annually (March and September).
Workforce Overview
Employees
126
Smaller agency
+4.1% from prior period
Average Salary
$170,055
Well above federal average
+2.4%
Avg Length of Service
16.2 yrs
Long-tenured workforce
Sub-agencies
1
Data vintage
March 2025
OPM FedScope semi-annual snapshot
Source authority
OPM FedScope
U.S. Office of Personnel Management, official federal HR data
Surface Transportation Board pay vs. federal civilian average
Agency average $170,055 relative to federal average $109,869
Federal General Schedule pay-grade distribution
The federal civilian workforce concentrates in the GS-11 to GS-13 grades. These are the actual federal-wide General Schedule employee counts from OPM FedScope, per-agency grade breakdowns are not published in the public extract, so this shows the national distribution Surface Transportation Board hires into rather than a modelled per-agency estimate.
National General Schedule grade distribution - 1,517,243 GS employees.
Salary Analysis
How Surface Transportation Board pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Agency Average
$170,055
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
+54.8%
Where Surface Transportation Board ranks on pay
Ranked by agency (not weighted by headcount), its average salary of $170,055 is higher than 92% of the 115 federal agencies (106 pay less on average). Smaller specialized agencies often post higher per-employee averages than large ones like Surface Transportation Board, so this agency-count rank can differ from a comparison to the government-wide, employee-weighted average shown above. The highlighted bar marks where Surface Transportation Board sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 115 federal agencies; Surface Transportation Board ranks higher than 92%.
Salary Range by Sub-agency
Under $80K
0
$80K–$100K
0
$100K–$120K
0
$120K–$150K
0
Over $150K
126
Sub-agencies & Organizational Units
Surface Transportation Board has 1 sub-agencies. The highest-paying unit averages $170,055.
| Sub-agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface Transportation Board | 126 | $170,055 | 16.2 yrs |
Geographic Presence
Surface Transportation Board has employees in 1 states (including DC). DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA has the most with 120 employees.
| State | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 120 | $171,288 | 16.7 yrs |
Federal Employment Guides
Learn more about working for the federal government
Similar-Sized Agencies
Federal agencies with a similar workforce size to Surface Transportation Board
Office of Special Counsel
123 employees $155,736 avg
Federal Maritime Commission
131 employees $152,295 avg
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
112 employees $187,208 avg
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
109 employees $135,503 avg
Federal Labor Relations Authority
108 employees $164,693 avg
Selective Service System
162 employees $125,533 avg
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work at Surface Transportation Board? ▾
Surface Transportation Board employs 126 federal workers as of March 2025. This represents 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average salary at Surface Transportation Board? ▾
The average salary at Surface Transportation Board is $170,055 per year, which is 54.8% above the federal average of $109,869.
What is the average length of service at Surface Transportation Board? ▾
The average length of service at Surface Transportation Board is 16.2 years. The federal average is 11.8 years.
How many sub-agencies does Surface Transportation Board have? ▾
Surface Transportation Board has 1 sub-agencies or organizational units. The largest is Surface Transportation Board with 126 employees.
In how many states does Surface Transportation Board have employees? ▾
Surface Transportation Board has employees in 1 states (including DC). The largest concentration is in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA with 120 employees.
Is Surface Transportation Board hiring or downsizing? ▾
Workforce dynamics data is not currently available for Surface Transportation Board.
Where can I find salary data for occupations at Surface Transportation Board? ▾
PlainGovJobs reports the average salary for Surface Transportation Board from the OPM FedScope dataset. For pay broken down by individual occupation, browse this site's occupation directory, each occupation page lists its federal average salary and workforce size from the same OPM source.
Data Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) FedScope Employment Cubes, March 2025. Federal civilian non-seasonal full-time and part-time employees. Data does not include military personnel, postal workers, or intelligence agency staff. Last updated: 2026-03-10.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGovJobs
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from OPM FedScope. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: Federal workforce figures from OPM FedScope as of the March 2025 snapshot, with current openings from USAJOBS; compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
PlainGovJobs is rendered directly from OPM FedScope federal-workforce data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on OPM FedScope agency-level employment records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.