Utility Systems Operating
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Utility Systems Operating occupation series (code 5406): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
Utility Systems Operating is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 419 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family. At an average salary of $75,930 it pays below the federal average, and headcount edged down from the prior period.
- Headcount change
- -0.5%
- Pay change
- +0.0%
- Avg tenure
- 12.5 yrs
- Rank in family
- #5 of 12
What the Numbers Say About Utility Systems Operating
Headcount moved down 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 up 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.
Code 54, the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family, is where the federal government classifies Utility Systems Operating alongside 11 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Utility Systems Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family. Utility Systems Operating makes up 8.7% of the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family's 4,810 combined employees.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Utility Systems Operating pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$75,930
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-35.3%
Where Utility Systems Operating ranks on lean federal pay
Utility Systems Operating earns more on average than 32% of federal occupation series (174 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Utility Systems Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Utility Systems Operating.
Related Occupations in Industrial Equipment Operation Family
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lock and Dam Operating | 1,197 | $68,109 | 13.2 yrs |
| Boiler Plant Operating | 762 | $76,211 | 12.8 yrs |
| Electrical Power Controlling | 711 | $156,821 | 17.5 yrs |
| Fuel Distribution System Operating | 700 | $81,595 | 11.2 yrs |
| Water Treatment Plant Operating | 265 | $89,105 | 12.2 yrs |
| Sewage Disposal Plant Operating | 235 | $78,823 | 12.3 yrs |
| Misc Industrial Equipment Operation | 184 | $95,593 | 15.9 yrs |
| Sandblasting | 153 | $65,089 | 12 yrs |
| Air Conditioning Equipment Operating | 130 | $76,659 | 15.2 yrs |
| Packaging Machine Operating | 27 | $75,706 | 17.7 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Utility Systems Operating outside the Industrial 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 (419 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($75,930 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Utility Systems 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 Industrial Equipment Operation Family family occupations in the table above, or search current Utility Systems 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.