Sewage Disposal Plant Operating
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (March 2025), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Sewage Disposal Plant Operating occupation series (code 5408).
The verdict
With 253 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 declined 1.9% from the prior period. Its average salary of $73,537 pays below the $109,869 federal average.
- Employees
- 253
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $73,537
- Avg tenure
- 10.5 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Sewage Disposal Plant Operating
As of the March 2025 reporting window, 253 people work in the Sewage Disposal Plant Operating occupation (OPM code 5408) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -1.9% 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 Sewage Disposal Plant Operating runs 10.5 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $73,537 per year, 33.1% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 1.6% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement.
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, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.
Inside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family (12 occupations, 5,157 employees combined), Sewage Disposal Plant Operating holds the #7 spot by headcount, a 4.9% share of the family total.
Employees
253
-1.9% from prior period
Average Salary
$73,537
+1.6%
Avg Length of Service
10.5 yrs
Occupation Family
Industrial Equipment Operation Family
Salary Context
How Sewage Disposal Plant Operating pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Occupation Average
$73,537
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
-33.1%
Where Sewage Disposal Plant Operating ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $73,537 is higher than 34% of federal occupation series (218 of 634). The highlighted bar marks where Sewage Disposal Plant Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 634 federal occupation series; Sewage Disposal Plant Operating ranks higher than 34%.
Related Occupations in Industrial Equipment Operation Family
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lock and Dam Operating | 1,258 | $68,513 | 10.6 yrs |
| Boiler Plant Operating | 789 | $75,363 | 11.1 yrs |
| Electrical Power Controlling | 759 | $129,019 | 14.9 yrs |
| Fuel Distribution System Operating | 747 | $72,988 | 8.4 yrs |
| Utility Systems Operating | 456 | $73,935 | 10.6 yrs |
| Water Treatment Plant Operating | 301 | $76,470 | 10.3 yrs |
| Misc Industrial Equipment Operation | 195 | $78,435 | 14.6 yrs |
| Sandblasting | 173 | $60,898 | 11.1 yrs |
| Air Conditioning Equipment Operating | 166 | $76,004 | 12.1 yrs |
| Packaging Machine Operating | 32 | $73,714 | 15.9 yrs |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) FedScope Employment Cubes, March 2025. Federal civilian non-seasonal full-time and part-time employees. Data does not include military personnel, postal workers, or intelligence agency staff. Last updated: 2026-03-10.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
PlainGovJobs is rendered directly from OPM FedScope federal-workforce data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on OPM FedScope occupation-level employment records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.