Engineering Equipment Operating
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Engineering Equipment Operating occupation series (code 5716).
The verdict
With 2,691 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce), Engineering Equipment Operating ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, and headcount grew 0.5% from the prior period. Its average salary of $78,062 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 2,691
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $78,062
- Avg tenure
- 13.2 yrs
FedScope read on Engineering Equipment Operating (dense series)
0.1% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Engineering Equipment Operating occupation (OPM code 5716): 2,691 people, headcount up 0.5% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Average tenure in Engineering Equipment Operating runs 13.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $78,062 per year, up 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.
Code 57, the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, is where the federal government classifies Engineering Equipment Operating alongside 14 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Engineering Equipment Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family.
Within the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, Engineering Equipment Operating is one of the top 15 occupations by headcount (#2), accounting for 28.9% of the family's combined 9,311 employees. Its average salary ranks in the top half (75th percentile) of pay among Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Engineering Equipment Operating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$78,062
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-33.5%
Where Engineering Equipment Operating ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $78,062 is higher than 34% of federal occupation series (186 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Engineering Equipment Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Engineering Equipment Operating ranks higher than 34%.
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 |
| 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 |
| Drill Rig Operating | 78 | $75,988 | 10.3 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Engineering Equipment Operating outside the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (2,691 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($78,062 here).
Key takeaways
- Engineering Equipment Operating pays below the federal average by 33.5% ($78,062 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 34th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 2,691 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.5% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Engineering Equipment Operating ranks #133 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, Engineering Equipment Operating is one of the top 15 occupations by headcount (#2), accounting for 28.9% of the family's combined 9,311 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.