Wiper
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Wiper occupation series (code 9965): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, Wiper counts 449 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew from the prior period; pay averages $42,656, which pays below the federal-wide average.
- Headcount change
- +1.8%
- Pay change
- 0.0%
- Avg tenure
- 2.9 yrs
- Rank in family
- #4 of 55
What the Numbers Say About Wiper
On pay, the move between reporting periods was 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 comparatively short average tenure, which can reflect faster turnover, a competitive private-sector alternative, or a newer program still building up its workforce. 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.
Code 99, the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, is where the federal government classifies Wiper alongside 54 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Wiper 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; Wiper is 6.6% of that headcount.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Wiper pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$42,656
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-63.6%
Where Wiper ranks on lean federal pay
Wiper earns more on average than 1% of federal occupation series (6 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Wiper sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Wiper.
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 |
| 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 |
| Third Assistant Engineer | 184 | $95,672 | 6.9 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Wiper 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 headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (449 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($42,656 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Wiper 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 Wiper 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.