Crane Operating
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Crane Operating occupation series (code 5725), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
Crane Operating is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 616 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family. At an average salary of $90,118 it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 1.1% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 616
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $90,118
- Avg tenure
- 13.9 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Crane Operating
Federal agencies employ 616 people in the Crane Operating occupation (OPM code 5725), 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 -1.1% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Average tenure in Crane Operating runs 13.9 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $90,118 per year, up 0.6% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement.
Crane Operating sits inside the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family (code 57), which contains 15 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Crane Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family.
Crane Operating makes up 6.6% of the 9,311 employees across the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, ranking #3 of 15 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (83rd percentile) of pay among Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Crane Operating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$90,118
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-23.2%
Where Crane Operating ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $90,118 is higher than 45% of federal occupation series (246 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Crane Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Crane Operating ranks higher than 45%.
Related Occupations in Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Operating | 4,012 | $61,944 | 12.6 yrs |
| Engineering Equipment Operating | 2,691 | $78,062 | 13.2 yrs |
| Misc Transportation/mobile Equipment Oper | 512 | $60,267 | 13 yrs |
| Tractor Operating | 437 | $60,593 | 11.6 yrs |
| Small Craft Operating | 225 | $76,720 | 12.5 yrs |
| Deckhand | 192 | $66,505 | 7.3 yrs |
| Ship Operating | 129 | $101,346 | 14.4 yrs |
| Fork Lift Operating | 126 | $67,848 | 12.4 yrs |
| Riverboat Operating | 120 | n/a | 15 yrs |
| Drill Rig Operating | 78 | $75,988 | 10.3 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Crane Operating outside the Transportation/mobile 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 (616 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($90,118 here).
Key takeaways
- Crane Operating pays below the federal average by 23.2% ($90,118 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 45th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 616 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.1% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Crane Operating ranks #269 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Crane Operating makes up 6.6% of the 9,311 employees across the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, ranking #3 of 15 occupations in that family by headcount.
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.