Lock and Dam Operating

What the Numbers Say About Lock and Dam Operating

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 1,258 people work in the Lock and Dam Operating occupation (OPM code 5426) across federal agencies, 0.1% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved up by 3.1% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

Average tenure in Lock and Dam Operating runs 10.6 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $68,513 per year, 37.6% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 0.5% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.

Lock and Dam Operating sits inside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family (code 54), which contains 12 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Lock and Dam Operating 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 Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, Lock and Dam Operating is the single largest occupation by headcount, accounting for 24.4% of the family's combined 5,157 employees. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (8th percentile) of pay among Industrial Equipment Operation Family occupations.