Farming
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Farming occupation series (code 5002): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 1 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Farming ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Plant and Animal Work Family family. Its average salary of $71,083 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 1
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $71,083
- Avg tenure
- 28.5 yrs
FedScope read on Farming (thin series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 1 people work in the Farming occupation (OPM code 5002) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved sideways by 0.0% from 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 Farming runs 28.5 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages $71,083 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.
Code 50, the Plant and Animal Work Family family, is where the federal government classifies Farming alongside 6 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Farming postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Plant and Animal Work Family family.
Farming makes up 0.1% of the 1,470 employees across the Plant and Animal Work Family family, ranking #7 of 7 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Farming pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$71,083
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-39.4%
Where Farming ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $71,083 is higher than 27% of federal occupation series (147 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Farming sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Farming ranks higher than 27%.
Related Occupations in Plant and Animal Work Family
6 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardening | 465 | $67,401 | 11.9 yrs |
| Animal Caretaking | 307 | $58,156 | 8.7 yrs |
| Pest Controlling | 289 | $72,091 | 13 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Plant and Animal Work | 249 | $68,338 | 9.3 yrs |
| Insects Production Working | 97 | $55,565 | 8.6 yrs |
| Tree Trimming and Removing | 62 | $75,736 | 10 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Farming outside the Plant and Animal Work 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 (1 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($71,083 here).
Key takeaways
- Farming pays below the federal average by 39.4% ($71,083 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 27th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 1 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Farming ranks #658 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Farming makes up 0.1% of the 1,470 employees across the Plant and Animal Work Family family, ranking #7 of 7 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.