Motor Vehicle Operating
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Motor Vehicle Operating occupation series (code 5703): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, Motor Vehicle Operating counts 4,012 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 5.9% from the prior period; pay averages $61,944, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 4,012
- Share of workforce
- 0.2%
- Avg salary
- $61,944
- Avg tenure
- 12.6 yrs
FedScope read on Motor Vehicle Operating (dense series)
0.2% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Motor Vehicle Operating occupation (OPM code 5703): 4,012 people, headcount down -5.9% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Average tenure in Motor Vehicle Operating runs 12.6 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $61,944 per year, down -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.
Code 57, the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, is where the federal government classifies Motor Vehicle Operating alongside 14 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Motor Vehicle Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family.
Inside the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family (15 occupations, 9,311 employees combined), Motor Vehicle Operating holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 43.1% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (25th percentile) of pay among Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family occupations.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Motor Vehicle Operating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$61,944
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-47.2%
Where Motor Vehicle Operating ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $61,944 is higher than 17% of federal occupation series (90 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Motor Vehicle Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Motor Vehicle Operating ranks higher than 17%.
Related Occupations in Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Equipment Operating | 2,691 | $78,062 | 13.2 yrs |
| Crane Operating | 616 | $90,118 | 13.9 yrs |
| Misc Transportation/mobile Equipment Oper | 512 | $60,267 | 13 yrs |
| Tractor Operating | 437 | $60,593 | 11.6 yrs |
| Small Craft Operating | 225 | $76,720 | 12.5 yrs |
| Deckhand | 192 | $66,505 | 7.3 yrs |
| Ship Operating | 129 | $101,346 | 14.4 yrs |
| Fork Lift Operating | 126 | $67,848 | 12.4 yrs |
| Riverboat Operating | 120 | n/a | 15 yrs |
| Drill Rig Operating | 78 | $75,988 | 10.3 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Motor Vehicle Operating outside the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation 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 (4,012 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($61,944 here).
Key takeaways
- Motor Vehicle Operating pays below the federal average by 47.2% ($61,944 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 17th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 4,012 employees, 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 5.9% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Motor Vehicle Operating ranks #101 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family (15 occupations, 9,311 employees combined), Motor Vehicle Operating holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 43.1% share of the family total.
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.