Irrigation System Operation

What the Numbers Say About Irrigation System Operation

0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (2,289,472 employees total, March 2025) works in the Irrigation System Operation occupation (OPM code 459): 70 people, headcount down -2.8% 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.

Irrigation System Operation pays $53,491 per year on average, 51.3% below the $109,869 federal civilian average, after moving up 2.9% from the prior period (a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce). Employees in this role stay an average of 13.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

Irrigation System Operation sits inside the Biological Sciences Group family (code 4), which contains 31 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Irrigation System Operation 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 Biological Sciences Group family, Irrigation System Operation ranks #30 of 31 by headcount, accounting for 0.1% of the family's combined 69,668 employees.