Fork Lift Operating
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Fork Lift Operating occupation series (code 5704), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
With 126 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Fork Lift Operating ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, and headcount grew from the prior period. Its average salary of $67,848 pays below the federal average.
- Headcount change
- +1.6%
- Pay change
- -2.0%
- Avg tenure
- 12.4 yrs
- Rank in family
- #9 of 15
FedScope read on Fork Lift Operating (thin series)
For job seekers weighing career length: this series shows a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Headcount moved up 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. As for pay, the latest move was a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement.
Code 57, the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, is where the federal government classifies Fork Lift Operating alongside 14 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Fork Lift Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family. Fork Lift Operating makes up 1.4% of the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family's 9,311 combined employees.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Fork Lift Operating pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$67,848
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-42.2%
Where Fork Lift Operating ranks on lean federal pay
Fork Lift Operating earns more on average than 23% of federal occupation series (125 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Fork Lift Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Fork Lift Operating.
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 |
| Riverboat Operating | 120 | n/a | 15 yrs |
| Drill Rig Operating | 78 | $75,988 | 10.3 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Fork Lift 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 (126 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($67,848 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Fork Lift Operating pay in context with the pay-rank chart above, then compare it with another occupation.
- Turn an average salary into a grade: the GS pay grade tables show how grades and steps map to pay.
- Browse the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family occupations in the table above, or search current Fork Lift Operating postings on USAJOBS.
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.