Utility Systems Operating federal salary series 5406
Full-time federal employees in the Utility Systems Operating series earned a median of $74,485 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 32% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $67,681 and $80,976.
What shapes utility systems operating pay
The most common grade with published pay is WG-9 (221 employees, median $72,085). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Veterans Affairs (237 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 34% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).
Utility Systems 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 | 221 | $72,085 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Utility Systems Operating pay by agency
| Agency | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 237 | $73,671 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Utility Systems Operating pay by state
The 2 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.
| State | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 46 | $73,295 |
| California | 34 | $72,148 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Change since September 2025
The median moved +2.2% from $72,899 in September 2025 to $74,485 in September 2026. Headcount went from 451 to 419 (−7.1%). 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.