Transportation Specialist
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Transportation Specialist occupation series (code 2101): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 8,313 employees (0.4% of the federal civilian workforce), Transportation Specialist ranks as a mid-sized federal occupation within the Transportation Group family, and headcount declined 0.6% from the prior period. Its average salary of $123,621 pays near the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 8,313
- Share of workforce
- 0.4%
- Avg salary
- $123,621
- Avg tenure
- 16.6 yrs
FedScope read on Transportation Specialist (dense series)
Federal agencies employ 8,313 people in the Transportation Specialist occupation (OPM code 2101), accounting for 0.4% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -0.6% versus the prior period, a useful gauge for job seekers on USAJOBS trying to assess whether this role is expanding government-wide or contracting under hiring freezes and attrition.
Average tenure in Transportation Specialist runs 16.6 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages $123,621 per year, up 0.7% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement.
The Transportation Group family (code 21) groups Transportation Specialist together with 19 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Transportation Specialist postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Transportation Group family.
Inside the Transportation Group family (20 occupations, 42,428 employees combined), Transportation Specialist holds the #2 spot by headcount, a 19.6% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the top half (60th percentile) of pay among Transportation Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Transportation Specialist pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$123,621
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+5.4%
Where Transportation Specialist ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $123,621 is higher than 70% of federal occupation series (379 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Transportation Specialist sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Transportation Specialist ranks higher than 70%.
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 Clerk and Assistant | 2,525 | $55,598 | 11.3 yrs |
| Aircraft Operation | 2,432 | $149,284 | 15.2 yrs |
| Transportation Operations | 1,900 | $105,349 | 16.3 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 Specialist 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 (8,313 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($123,621 here).
Key takeaways
- Transportation Specialist pays near the federal average by 5.4% ($123,621 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 70th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A mid-sized federal occupation by headcount: 8,313 employees, 0.4% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.6% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Transportation Specialist ranks #57 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Transportation Group family (20 occupations, 42,428 employees combined), Transportation Specialist holds the #2 spot by headcount, a 19.6% share of the family total.
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.