Second Cook
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Second Cook occupation series (code 9973): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 126 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Second Cook ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, and headcount declined 6.0% from the prior period. Its average salary of $48,222 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 126
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $48,222
- Avg tenure
- 10.1 yrs
FedScope read on Second Cook (thin series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 126 people work in the Second Cook occupation (OPM code 9973) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -6.0% 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.
Second Cook pays $48,222 per year on average, moving up 0.8% from the prior period (a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement). Employees in this role stay an average of 10.1 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (code 99) groups Second Cook together with 54 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Second Cook 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), Second Cook holds the #15 spot by headcount, a 1.9% share of the family total.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Second Cook pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$48,222
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-58.9%
Where Second Cook ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $48,222 is higher than 4% of federal occupation series (24 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Second Cook sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Second Cook ranks higher than 4%.
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 Second Cook 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 (126 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($48,222 here).
Key takeaways
- Second Cook pays below the federal average by 58.9% ($48,222 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 4th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 126 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 6.0% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Second Cook ranks #453 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), Second Cook holds the #15 spot by headcount, a 1.9% 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.