Boiler Plant Operating federal salary series 5402
Full-time federal employees in the Boiler Plant Operating series earned a median of $74,590 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 32% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $67,692 and $84,461.
What shapes boiler plant operating pay
The most common grade with published pay is WG-9 (364 employees, median $73,274). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Veterans Affairs (410 employees). Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.
OPM withheld pay for 45% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).
Boiler Plant Operating pay by grade
Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.
| Pay plan–grade | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| WG-9 | 364 | $73,274 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Boiler Plant Operating pay by agency
| Agency | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 410 | $74,245 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Boiler Plant Operating pay by state
The 2 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.
| State | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 45 | $72,669 |
| Massachusetts | 30 | $86,214 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Change since September 2025
The median moved +1.6% from $73,442 in September 2025 to $74,590 in September 2026. Headcount went from 791 to 766 (−3.2%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.