Third Steward
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Third Steward occupation series (code 9969).
The verdict
With 37 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Third Steward ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, and headcount grew from the prior period. Its average salary of n/a pays below the federal average.
- Headcount change
- +2.8%
- Pay change
- 0.0%
- Avg tenure
- 9.5 yrs
- Rank in family
- #42 of 55
FedScope read on Third Steward (thin series)
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. Pay moved sideways between the two reporting periods, 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.
Third Steward sits inside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (code 99), which contains 55 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Third Steward postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family. Across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, 6,786 employees work in 55 occupations; Third Steward is 0.5% of that headcount.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Third Steward pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
n/a
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-100.0%
Where Third Steward ranks on lean federal pay
Third Steward earns more on average than 0% of federal occupation series (0 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Third Steward sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Third Steward.
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 Third Steward 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 (37 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families (n/a here).
Key takeaways
- Place Third Steward 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 Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family occupations in the table above, or search current Third Steward 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.