Sandblasting
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Sandblasting occupation series (code 5423), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
In the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, Sandblasting counts 153 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount edged down from the prior period; pay averages $65,089, which pays below the federal-wide average.
- Headcount change
- -0.6%
- Pay change
- -1.2%
- Avg tenure
- 12 yrs
- Rank in family
- #9 of 12
What the Numbers Say About Sandblasting
On pay, the move between reporting periods was a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement. On length of service, this series shows a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Headcount moved down 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.
Code 54, the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, is where the federal government classifies Sandblasting alongside 11 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Sandblasting postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family. Sandblasting makes up 3.2% of the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family's 4,810 combined employees.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Sandblasting pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$65,089
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-44.5%
Where Sandblasting ranks on lean federal pay
Sandblasting earns more on average than 20% of federal occupation series (108 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Sandblasting sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Sandblasting.
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 |
| Air Conditioning Equipment Operating | 130 | $76,659 | 15.2 yrs |
| Packaging Machine Operating | 27 | $75,706 | 17.7 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Sandblasting outside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (153 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($65,089 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Sandblasting 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 Sandblasting 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.