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 federal average.
- Headcount change
- 0.0%
- Pay change
- +0.3%
- Avg tenure
- 17.7 yrs
- Rank in family
- #11 of 12
FedScope read on Packaging Machine Operating (thin series)
Headcount moved sideways versus 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. Pay moved up between the two reporting periods, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. On length of service, this series shows 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. The Industrial Equipment Operation Family family totals 4,810 employees, and Packaging Machine Operating accounts for 0.6% of them.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Packaging Machine Operating pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$75,706
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-35.5%
Where Packaging Machine Operating ranks on lean federal pay
Packaging Machine Operating earns more on average 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; the highlighted bar marks Packaging Machine Operating.
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
- Place Packaging Machine Operating pay in context with the pay-rank chart above, then compare it with another occupation.
- Turn an average salary into a grade: the GS pay grade tables show how grades and steps map to pay.
- Browse the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family occupations in the table above, or search current Packaging Machine Operating postings on USAJOBS.
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.