Ship Pilot
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Ship Pilot occupation series (code 9904): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 36 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Ship Pilot ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family. Its average salary of n/a pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 36
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- n/a
- Avg tenure
- 16.3 yrs
FedScope read on Ship Pilot (thin series)
0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Ship Pilot occupation (OPM code 9904): 36 people, headcount sideways 0.0% 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 Pilot is n/a per year. Salaries moved down by 0.0% 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 16.3 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
The Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (code 99) groups Ship Pilot together with 54 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Ship Pilot postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family.
Ship Pilot makes up 0.5% of the 6,786 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #44 of 55 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Ship Pilot pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
n/a
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-100.0%
Where Ship Pilot ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of n/a is higher than 0% of federal occupation series (0 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Ship Pilot sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Ship Pilot ranks higher than 0%.
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 Ship Pilot 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 (36 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families (n/a here).
Key takeaways
- Ship Pilot pays below the federal average by 100.0% (n/a vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 0th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 36 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Ship Pilot ranks #565 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Ship Pilot makes up 0.5% of the 6,786 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #44 of 55 occupations in that family by headcount.
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.