Air Conditioning Equipment Operating
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Air Conditioning Equipment Operating occupation series (code 5415), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
In the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, Air Conditioning Equipment Operating counts 130 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 2.4% from the prior period; pay averages $76,659, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 130
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $76,659
- Avg tenure
- 15.2 yrs
FedScope read on Air Conditioning Equipment Operating (thin series)
Federal agencies employ 130 people in the Air Conditioning Equipment Operating occupation (OPM code 5415), 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 up by 2.4% 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.
Air Conditioning Equipment Operating pays $76,659 per year on average, moving down -0.3% 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 15.2 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
The Industrial Equipment Operation Family family (code 54) groups Air Conditioning Equipment Operating together with 11 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Air Conditioning Equipment Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family.
Within the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, Air Conditioning Equipment Operating ranks #10 of 12 by headcount, accounting for 2.7% of the family's combined 4,810 employees.
Salary Context
How Air Conditioning Equipment Operating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$76,659
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-34.7%
Where Air Conditioning Equipment Operating ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $76,659 is higher than 33% of federal occupation series (180 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Air Conditioning Equipment Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Air Conditioning Equipment Operating ranks higher than 33%.
Related Occupations in Industrial Equipment Operation Family
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lock and Dam Operating | 1,197 | $68,109 | 13.2 yrs |
| Boiler Plant Operating | 762 | $76,211 | 12.8 yrs |
| Electrical Power Controlling | 711 | $156,821 | 17.5 yrs |
| Fuel Distribution System Operating | 700 | $81,595 | 11.2 yrs |
| Utility Systems Operating | 419 | $75,930 | 12.5 yrs |
| Water Treatment Plant Operating | 265 | $89,105 | 12.2 yrs |
| Sewage Disposal Plant Operating | 235 | $78,823 | 12.3 yrs |
| Misc Industrial Equipment Operation | 184 | $95,593 | 15.9 yrs |
| Sandblasting | 153 | $65,089 | 12 yrs |
| Packaging Machine Operating | 27 | $75,706 | 17.7 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Air Conditioning Equipment Operating outside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (130 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($76,659 here).
Key takeaways
- Air Conditioning Equipment Operating pays below the federal average by 34.7% ($76,659 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 33rd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 130 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 2.4% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Air Conditioning Equipment Operating ranks #449 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, Air Conditioning Equipment Operating ranks #10 of 12 by headcount, accounting for 2.7% of the family's combined 4,810 employees.
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.