Explosives Operating

What the Numbers Say About Explosives Operating

0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (2,289,472 employees total, March 2025) works in the Explosives Operating occupation (OPM code 6502): 620 people, headcount up 1.1% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

Average tenure in Explosives Operating runs 10 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $58,877 per year, 46.4% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 1.0% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement.

Code 65, the Ammunition, Explosives, and Toxic Materials Work Family family, is where the federal government classifies Explosives Operating alongside 3 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Explosives Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Within the Ammunition, Explosives, and Toxic Materials Work Family family, Explosives Operating is the single largest occupation by headcount, accounting for 45.2% of the family's combined 1,372 employees. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (0th percentile) of pay among Ammunition, Explosives, and Toxic Materials Work Family occupations.