Purser
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Purser occupation series (code 9988): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
Purser is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 57 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family. At an average salary of n/a it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount grew 1.8% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 57
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- n/a
- Avg tenure
- 15.3 yrs
FedScope read on Purser (thin series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 57 people work in the Purser occupation (OPM code 9988) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved up by 1.8% 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.
Average tenure in Purser runs 15.3 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages n/a per year, down 0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
The Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (code 99) groups Purser together with 54 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Purser postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family.
Inside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (55 occupations, 6,786 employees combined), Purser holds the #34 spot by headcount, a 0.8% share of the family total.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Purser pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
n/a
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-100.0%
Where Purser ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of n/a is higher than 0% of federal occupation series (0 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Purser sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Purser ranks higher than 0%.
Related Occupations in Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System)
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steward Utilityman | 646 | n/a | 5.1 yrs |
| Ordinary Seaman | 619 | $42,990 | 2.5 yrs |
| Able Seaman-Maintenance | 556 | n/a | 11.2 yrs |
| Wiper | 449 | $42,656 | 2.9 yrs |
| Able Seaman | 338 | $51,760 | 12.1 yrs |
| Engine Utilityman | 283 | n/a | 8.5 yrs |
| Third Officer | 249 | n/a | 4.2 yrs |
| Boatswain's Mate | 199 | $60,969 | 16.9 yrs |
| Assistant Storekeeper | 194 | n/a | 6.1 yrs |
| Second Assistant Engineer | 186 | $107,628 | 13.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Purser outside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (57 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families (n/a here).
Key takeaways
- Purser pays below the federal average by 100.0% (n/a vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 0th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 57 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.8% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Purser ranks #525 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (55 occupations, 6,786 employees combined), Purser holds the #34 spot by headcount, a 0.8% 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.