Packaging Machine Operating
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Packaging Machine Operating occupation series (code 5440): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 27 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Packaging Machine Operating ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family. Its average salary of $75,706 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 27
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $75,706
- Avg tenure
- 17.7 yrs
FedScope read on Packaging Machine Operating (thin series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 27 people work in the Packaging Machine Operating occupation (OPM code 5440) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved sideways by 0.0% from the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
Packaging Machine Operating pays $75,706 per year on average, moving up 0.3% from the prior period (a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change). Employees in this role stay an average of 17.7 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
The Industrial Equipment Operation Family family (code 54) groups Packaging Machine Operating together with 11 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Packaging Machine Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family.
Inside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family (12 occupations, 4,810 employees combined), Packaging Machine Operating holds the #11 spot by headcount, a 0.6% share of the family total.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Packaging Machine Operating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$75,706
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-35.5%
Where Packaging Machine Operating ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $75,706 is higher than 32% of federal occupation series (171 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Packaging Machine Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Packaging Machine Operating ranks higher than 32%.
Related Occupations in Industrial Equipment Operation Family
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lock and Dam Operating | 1,197 | $68,109 | 13.2 yrs |
| Boiler Plant Operating | 762 | $76,211 | 12.8 yrs |
| Electrical Power Controlling | 711 | $156,821 | 17.5 yrs |
| Fuel Distribution System Operating | 700 | $81,595 | 11.2 yrs |
| Utility Systems Operating | 419 | $75,930 | 12.5 yrs |
| Water Treatment Plant Operating | 265 | $89,105 | 12.2 yrs |
| Sewage Disposal Plant Operating | 235 | $78,823 | 12.3 yrs |
| Misc Industrial Equipment Operation | 184 | $95,593 | 15.9 yrs |
| Sandblasting | 153 | $65,089 | 12 yrs |
| Air Conditioning Equipment Operating | 130 | $76,659 | 15.2 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Packaging Machine Operating outside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (27 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($75,706 here).
Key takeaways
- Packaging Machine Operating pays below the federal average by 35.5% ($75,706 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 32nd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 27 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Packaging Machine Operating ranks #591 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family (12 occupations, 4,810 employees combined), Packaging Machine Operating holds the #11 spot by headcount, a 0.6% 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.