Laboring

What the Numbers Say About Laboring

0.1% of the federal civilian workforce (2,289,472 employees total, March 2025) works in the Laboring occupation (OPM code 3502): 1,528 people, headcount down -24.3% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

The average salary for Laboring is $48,433 per year, placing it 55.9% below the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 4.4% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 6.8 years, a comparatively short average tenure, which can reflect faster turnover, a competitive private-sector alternative, or a newer program still building up its workforce.

Laboring sits inside the General Services and Support Work Family family (code 35), which contains 5 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Laboring 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.

Laboring makes up 10.4% of the 14,646 employees across the General Services and Support Work Family family, ranking #2 of 5 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (20th percentile) of pay among General Services and Support Work Family occupations.