Environmental Protection Assistant
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Environmental Protection Assistant occupation series (code 0029): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family, Environmental Protection Assistant counts 77 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 9.4% from the prior period; pay averages $68,335, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 77
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $68,335
- Avg tenure
- 12.2 yrs
FedScope read on Environmental Protection Assistant (thin series)
Federal agencies employ 77 people in the Environmental Protection Assistant occupation (OPM code 0029), 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 -9.4% 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.
Average tenure in Environmental Protection Assistant runs 12.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $68,335 per year, down 0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
Environmental Protection Assistant sits inside the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family (code 00), which contains 27 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Environmental Protection Assistant postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family.
Inside the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family (27 occupations, 92,278 employees combined), Environmental Protection Assistant holds the #22 spot by headcount, a 0.1% share of the family total.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Environmental Protection Assistant pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$68,335
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-41.8%
Where Environmental Protection Assistant ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $68,335 is higher than 24% of federal occupation series (128 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Environmental Protection Assistant sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Environmental Protection Assistant ranks higher than 24%.
Related Occupations in Miscellaneous Occupations Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security Administration | 15,507 | $125,293 | 15.4 yrs |
| Correctional Officer | 14,821 | n/a | 10.3 yrs |
| Police | 11,883 | n/a | 12.2 yrs |
| Emergency Management Specialist | 11,832 | $100,833 | 9.7 yrs |
| Fire Protection and Prevention | 8,848 | $74,762 | 14.6 yrs |
| Safety and Occupational Health Management | 5,704 | $117,177 | 16.3 yrs |
| Park Ranger | 5,202 | $75,210 | 10.6 yrs |
| Security Guard | 4,312 | $57,464 | 11.3 yrs |
| Environmental Protection Specialist | 4,157 | $127,481 | 15.2 yrs |
| Security Clerical and Assistance | 3,340 | $65,477 | 12.7 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Environmental Protection Assistant outside the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (77 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($68,335 here).
Key takeaways
- Environmental Protection Assistant pays below the federal average by 41.8% ($68,335 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 24th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 77 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 9.4% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Environmental Protection Assistant ranks #496 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Miscellaneous Occupations Group family (27 occupations, 92,278 employees combined), Environmental Protection Assistant holds the #22 spot by headcount, a 0.1% 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.