Plumbing
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Plumbing occupation series (code 4206), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
Plumbing is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 822 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family. At an average salary of $84,050 it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 1.0% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 822
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $84,050
- Avg tenure
- 10.2 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Plumbing
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 822 people work in the Plumbing occupation (OPM code 4206) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -1.0% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Plumbing is $84,050 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.1% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 10.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family (code 42) groups Plumbing together with 3 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Plumbing postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family.
Within the Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family, Plumbing is one of the top 4 occupations by headcount (#2), accounting for 18.6% of the family's combined 4,411 employees. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (33rd percentile) of pay among Plumbing and Pipefitting Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Plumbing pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$84,050
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-28.4%
Where Plumbing ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $84,050 is higher than 40% of federal occupation series (216 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Plumbing sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Plumbing ranks higher than 40%.
Related Occupations in Plumbing and Pipefitting Family
3 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipefitting | 3,398 | $80,582 | 10.2 yrs |
| Fuel Distribution System Mechanic | 133 | n/a | 13.4 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Plumbing and Pipefitting | 58 | $150,118 | 13.2 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Plumbing outside the Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (822 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($84,050 here).
Key takeaways
- Plumbing pays below the federal average by 28.4% ($84,050 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 40th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 822 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.0% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Plumbing ranks #231 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family, Plumbing is one of the top 4 occupations by headcount (#2), accounting for 18.6% of the family's combined 4,411 employees.
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.