Able Seaman
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Able Seaman occupation series (code 9924), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
Able Seaman is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 338 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family. At an average salary of $51,760 it pays below the federal average of $117,339.
- Employees
- 338
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $51,760
- Avg tenure
- 12.1 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Able Seaman
Federal agencies employ 338 people in the Able Seaman occupation (OPM code 9924), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved sideways by 0.0% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
Able Seaman pays $51,760 per year on average, moving up 0.1% from the prior period (a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change). Employees in this role stay an average of 12.1 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 99, the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, is where the federal government classifies Able Seaman alongside 54 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Able Seaman postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family.
Inside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (55 occupations, 6,786 employees combined), Able Seaman holds the #5 spot by headcount, a 5.0% share of the family total.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Able Seaman pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$51,760
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-55.9%
Where Able Seaman ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $51,760 is higher than 7% of federal occupation series (37 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Able Seaman sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Able Seaman ranks higher than 7%.
Related Occupations in Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System)
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steward Utilityman | 646 | n/a | 5.1 yrs |
| Ordinary Seaman | 619 | $42,990 | 2.5 yrs |
| Able Seaman-Maintenance | 556 | n/a | 11.2 yrs |
| Wiper | 449 | $42,656 | 2.9 yrs |
| Engine Utilityman | 283 | n/a | 8.5 yrs |
| Third Officer | 249 | n/a | 4.2 yrs |
| Boatswain's Mate | 199 | $60,969 | 16.9 yrs |
| Assistant Storekeeper | 194 | n/a | 6.1 yrs |
| Second Assistant Engineer | 186 | $107,628 | 13.5 yrs |
| Third Assistant Engineer | 184 | $95,672 | 6.9 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Able Seaman outside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (338 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($51,760 here).
Key takeaways
- Able Seaman pays below the federal average by 55.9% ($51,760 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 7th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 338 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Able Seaman ranks #347 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (55 occupations, 6,786 employees combined), Able Seaman holds the #5 spot by headcount, a 5.0% share of the family total.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.