Drill Rig Operating
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Drill Rig Operating occupation series (code 5729): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
Drill Rig Operating is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 78 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family. At an average salary of $75,988 it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount grew 1.3% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 78
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $75,988
- Avg tenure
- 10.3 yrs
FedScope read on Drill Rig Operating (thin series)
0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Drill Rig Operating occupation (OPM code 5729): 78 people, headcount up 1.3% 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.
Average tenure in Drill Rig Operating runs 10.3 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $75,988 per year, 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.
The Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family (code 57) groups Drill Rig Operating together with 14 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Drill Rig Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family.
Drill Rig Operating makes up 0.8% of the 9,311 employees across the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, ranking #11 of 15 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Drill Rig Operating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$75,988
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-35.2%
Where Drill Rig Operating ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $75,988 is higher than 32% of federal occupation series (175 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Drill Rig Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Drill Rig Operating ranks higher than 32%.
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 |
| Crane Operating | 616 | $90,118 | 13.9 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 |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Drill Rig Operating outside the Transportation/mobile 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 (78 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($75,988 here).
Key takeaways
- Drill Rig Operating pays below the federal average by 35.2% ($75,988 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 32nd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 78 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.3% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Drill Rig Operating ranks #495 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Drill Rig Operating makes up 0.8% of the 9,311 employees across the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, ranking #11 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.