Laboring
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Laboring occupation series (code 3502): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the General Services and Support Work Family family, Laboring counts 1,663 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 4.4% from the prior period; pay averages $48,277, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 1,663
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $48,277
- Avg tenure
- 6.3 yrs
FedScope read on Laboring (dense series)
0.1% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Laboring occupation (OPM code 3502): 1,663 people, headcount up 4.4% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Laboring is $48,277 per year. Salaries moved down by -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. Average length of service in this role is 6.3 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 in the General Services and Support Work Family family.
Laboring makes up 11.7% of the 14,196 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 (25th percentile) of pay among General Services and Support Work Family occupations.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Laboring pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$48,277
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-58.9%
Where Laboring ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $48,277 is higher than 5% of federal occupation series (25 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Laboring sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Laboring ranks higher than 5%.
Related Occupations in General Services and Support Work Family
4 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custodial Working | 12,122 | $47,108 | 8.9 yrs |
| Misc General Services and Support Work | 371 | $51,243 | 6 yrs |
| Laboratory Working | 23 | $50,290 | 10.5 yrs |
| Railroad Repairing | 17 | n/a | 4.8 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Laboring outside the General Services and Support Work Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (1,663 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($48,277 here).
Key takeaways
- Laboring pays below the federal average by 58.9% ($48,277 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 5th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 1,663 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 4.4% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Laboring ranks #164 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Laboring makes up 11.7% of the 14,196 employees across the General Services and Support Work Family family, ranking #2 of 5 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.