Transportation Operations
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Transportation Operations occupation series (code 2150), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
With 1,900 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce), Transportation Operations ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Transportation Group family, and headcount declined 0.5% from the prior period. Its average salary of $105,349 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 1,900
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $105,349
- Avg tenure
- 16.3 yrs
FedScope read on Transportation Operations (dense series)
0.1% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Transportation Operations occupation (OPM code 2150): 1,900 people, headcount down -0.5% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Average tenure in Transportation Operations runs 16.3 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages $105,349 per year, up 0.3% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
Code 21, the Transportation Group family, is where the federal government classifies Transportation Operations alongside 19 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Transportation Operations postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Transportation Group family.
Within the Transportation Group family, Transportation Operations ranks #5 of 20 by headcount, accounting for 4.5% of the family's combined 42,428 employees. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (40th percentile) of pay among Transportation Group occupations.
Salary Context
How Transportation Operations pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$105,349
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-10.2%
Where Transportation Operations ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $105,349 is higher than 57% of federal occupation series (308 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Transportation Operations sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Transportation Operations ranks higher than 57%.
Related Occupations in Transportation Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Control | 21,627 | $153,037 | 13.7 yrs |
| Transportation Specialist | 8,313 | $123,621 | 16.6 yrs |
| Transportation Clerk and Assistant | 2,525 | $55,598 | 11.3 yrs |
| Aircraft Operation | 2,432 | $149,284 | 15.2 yrs |
| Traffic Management | 1,400 | $119,205 | 15.8 yrs |
| Dispatching | 1,378 | $58,047 | 10.9 yrs |
| Technical Systems Program Manager | 672 | $191,580 | 24.5 yrs |
| Railroad Safety | 497 | $119,966 | 14.1 yrs |
| Motor Carrier Safety | 467 | $94,322 | 12 yrs |
| Aircrew Technician | 374 | n/a | 13.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Transportation Operations outside the Transportation Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (1,900 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($105,349 here).
Key takeaways
- Transportation Operations pays below the federal average by 10.2% ($105,349 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 57th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 1,900 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.5% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Transportation Operations ranks #156 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Transportation Group family, Transportation Operations ranks #5 of 20 by headcount, accounting for 4.5% of the family's combined 42,428 employees.
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.