Boiler Plant Operating
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Boiler Plant Operating occupation series (code 5402).
The verdict
Boiler Plant Operating is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 762 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family. At an average salary of $76,211 it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 0.8% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 762
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $76,211
- Avg tenure
- 12.8 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Boiler Plant Operating
Federal agencies employ 762 people in the Boiler Plant Operating occupation (OPM code 5402), 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 down by -0.8% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Average tenure in Boiler Plant Operating runs 12.8 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $76,211 per year, down -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.
Code 54, the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, is where the federal government classifies Boiler Plant Operating alongside 11 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Boiler Plant Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family.
Inside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family (12 occupations, 4,810 employees combined), Boiler Plant Operating holds the #2 spot by headcount, a 15.8% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (33rd percentile) of pay among Industrial Equipment Operation Family occupations.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Boiler Plant Operating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$76,211
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-35.1%
Where Boiler Plant Operating ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $76,211 is higher than 33% of federal occupation series (178 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Boiler Plant Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Boiler Plant 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 |
| 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 |
| Air Conditioning Equipment Operating | 130 | $76,659 | 15.2 yrs |
| Packaging Machine Operating | 27 | $75,706 | 17.7 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Boiler Plant Operating outside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (762 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($76,211 here).
Key takeaways
- Boiler Plant Operating pays below the federal average by 35.1% ($76,211 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 33rd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 762 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.8% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Boiler Plant Operating ranks #241 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family (12 occupations, 4,810 employees combined), Boiler Plant Operating holds the #2 spot by headcount, a 15.8% 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.