Sewage Disposal Plant Operating
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Sewage Disposal Plant Operating occupation series (code 5408).
The verdict
With 235 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Sewage Disposal Plant Operating ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, and headcount edged down from the prior period. Its average salary of $78,823 pays below the federal average.
- Headcount change
- -0.8%
- Pay change
- +0.1%
- Avg tenure
- 12.3 yrs
- Rank in family
- #7 of 12
What the Numbers Say About Sewage Disposal Plant Operating
On pay, the move between reporting periods was a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. 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.
Sewage Disposal Plant Operating sits inside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family (code 54), which contains 12 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Sewage Disposal Plant Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family. Sewage Disposal Plant Operating makes up 4.9% of the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family's 4,810 combined employees.
Salary Context
How Sewage Disposal Plant Operating pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$78,823
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-32.8%
Where Sewage Disposal Plant Operating ranks on federal pay
Sewage Disposal Plant Operating earns more on average than 35% of federal occupation series (190 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Sewage Disposal Plant Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Sewage Disposal Plant Operating.
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 |
| Misc Industrial Equipment Operation | 184 | $95,593 | 15.9 yrs |
| Sandblasting | 153 | $65,089 | 12 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 Sewage Disposal Plant Operating 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 (235 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($78,823 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Sewage Disposal Plant Operating 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 Sewage Disposal Plant Operating 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.