Ordinary Seaman

What the Numbers Say About Ordinary Seaman

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 712 people work in the Ordinary Seaman occupation (OPM code 9928) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved up by 1.7% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

Ordinary Seaman pays $38,310 per year on average, 65.1% below the $109,869 federal civilian average, after moving down -0.6% from the prior period (a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement). Employees in this role stay an average of 1.7 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.

The Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (code 99) groups Ordinary Seaman together with 50 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Ordinary Seaman 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.

Ordinary Seaman makes up 11.6% of the 6,135 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #2 of 51 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (4th percentile) of pay among Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) occupations.