Telecommunications

What the Numbers Say About Telecommunications

Federal agencies employ 4,568 people in the Telecommunications occupation (OPM code 391), accounting for 0.2% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -1.6% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

The average salary for Telecommunications is $117,878 per year, placing it 7.3% above the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 2.1% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 13.6 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

Code 3, the General Administrative, Clerical, and Office Services Group family, is where the federal government classifies Telecommunications alongside 27 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Telecommunications 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 General Administrative, Clerical, and Office Services Group family (28 occupations, 339,466 employees combined), Telecommunications holds the #8 spot by headcount, a 1.3% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the top half (82nd percentile) of pay among General Administrative, Clerical, and Office Services Group occupations.