Ship Operating
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Ship Operating occupation series (code 5782): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 129 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Ship Operating ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, and headcount grew 3.2% from the prior period. Its average salary of $101,346 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 129
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $101,346
- Avg tenure
- 14.4 yrs
FedScope read on Ship Operating (thin series)
0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Ship Operating occupation (OPM code 5782): 129 people, headcount up 3.2% 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.
The average salary for Ship Operating is $101,346 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.2% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 14.4 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 57, the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, is where the federal government classifies Ship Operating alongside 14 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Ship Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family.
Inside the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family (15 occupations, 9,311 employees combined), Ship Operating holds the #8 spot by headcount, a 1.4% share of the family total.
Salary Context
How Ship Operating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$101,346
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-13.6%
Where Ship Operating ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $101,346 is higher than 55% of federal occupation series (297 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Ship Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Ship Operating ranks higher than 55%.
Related Occupations in Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Operating | 4,012 | $61,944 | 12.6 yrs |
| Engineering Equipment Operating | 2,691 | $78,062 | 13.2 yrs |
| Crane Operating | 616 | $90,118 | 13.9 yrs |
| Misc Transportation/mobile Equipment Oper | 512 | $60,267 | 13 yrs |
| Tractor Operating | 437 | $60,593 | 11.6 yrs |
| Small Craft Operating | 225 | $76,720 | 12.5 yrs |
| Deckhand | 192 | $66,505 | 7.3 yrs |
| Fork Lift Operating | 126 | $67,848 | 12.4 yrs |
| Riverboat Operating | 120 | n/a | 15 yrs |
| Drill Rig Operating | 78 | $75,988 | 10.3 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Ship Operating outside the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (129 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($101,346 here).
Key takeaways
- Ship Operating pays below the federal average by 13.6% ($101,346 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 55th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 129 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 3.2% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Ship Operating ranks #451 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family (15 occupations, 9,311 employees combined), Ship Operating holds the #8 spot by headcount, a 1.4% 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.