Small Craft Operating
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Small Craft Operating occupation series (code 5786): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, Small Craft Operating counts 225 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount edged up from the prior period; pay averages $76,720, which pays below the federal-wide average.
- Headcount change
- +0.4%
- Pay change
- +0.3%
- Avg tenure
- 12.5 yrs
- Rank in family
- #6 of 15
What the Numbers Say About Small Craft 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 up 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 Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family (code 57) groups Small Craft Operating together with 14 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Small Craft Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family. Across the Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family, 9,311 employees work in 15 occupations; Small Craft Operating is 2.4% of that headcount.
Salary Context
How Small Craft Operating pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$76,720
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-34.6%
Where Small Craft Operating ranks on federal pay
Small Craft Operating earns more on average than 33% of federal occupation series (181 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Small Craft Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Small Craft Operating.
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 |
| Deckhand | 192 | $66,505 | 7.3 yrs |
| Ship Operating | 129 | $101,346 | 14.4 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 occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Small Craft Operating outside the Transportation/mobile 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 (225 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($76,720 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Small Craft 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 Transportation/mobile Equipment Operation Family family occupations in the table above, or search current Small Craft 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.