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 of $117,339, and headcount declined 0.5% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 419
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $75,930
- Avg tenure
- 12.5 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Utility Systems Operating
0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Utility Systems Operating occupation (OPM code 5406): 419 people, headcount down -0.5% 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.
The average salary for Utility Systems Operating is $75,930 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 12.5 years, 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.
Inside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family (12 occupations, 4,810 employees combined), Utility Systems Operating holds the #5 spot by headcount, a 8.7% share of the family total.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Utility Systems Operating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$75,930
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-35.3%
Where Utility Systems Operating ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $75,930 is higher 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; Utility Systems Operating ranks higher than 32%.
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
- Utility Systems Operating pays below the federal average by 35.3% ($75,930 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 32nd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 419 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.5% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Utility Systems Operating ranks #312 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Industrial Equipment Operation Family family (12 occupations, 4,810 employees combined), Utility Systems Operating holds the #5 spot by headcount, a 8.7% 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.