Gardening
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Gardening occupation series (code 5003): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Plant and Animal Work Family family, Gardening counts 465 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.3% from the prior period; pay averages $67,401, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 465
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $67,401
- Avg tenure
- 11.9 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Gardening
Federal agencies employ 465 people in the Gardening occupation (OPM code 5003), 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 up by 1.3% 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.
The average salary for Gardening is $67,401 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.6% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement. Average length of service in this role is 11.9 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Plant and Animal Work Family family (code 50) groups Gardening together with 6 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Gardening postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Plant and Animal Work Family family.
Within the Plant and Animal Work Family family, Gardening is the single largest occupation by headcount, accounting for 31.6% of the family's combined 1,470 employees.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Gardening pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$67,401
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-42.6%
Where Gardening ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $67,401 is higher than 23% of federal occupation series (122 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Gardening sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Gardening ranks higher than 23%.
Related Occupations in Plant and Animal Work Family
6 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Farming | 1 | $71,083 | 28.5 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Gardening outside the Plant and Animal Work Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (465 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($67,401 here).
Key takeaways
- Gardening pays below the federal average by 42.6% ($67,401 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 23rd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 465 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.3% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Gardening ranks #301 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Plant and Animal Work Family family, Gardening is the single largest occupation by headcount, accounting for 31.6% of the family's combined 1,470 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.