Plant Protection Technician

What the Numbers Say About Plant Protection Technician

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 847 people work in the Plant Protection Technician occupation (OPM code 421) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -6.9% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

The average salary for Plant Protection Technician is $44,760 per year, placing it 59.3% below the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 2.8% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 6 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.

Code 4, the Biological Sciences Group family, is where the federal government classifies Plant Protection Technician alongside 30 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Plant Protection Technician 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 Biological Sciences Group family, Plant Protection Technician ranks #11 of 31 by headcount, accounting for 1.2% of the family's combined 69,668 employees. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (3rd percentile) of pay among Biological Sciences Group occupations.