Engineering Equipment Operating federal salary series 5716
Full-time federal employees in the Engineering Equipment Operating series earned a median of $77,323 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 29% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $70,666 and $84,962.
What shapes engineering equipment operating pay
The most common grade with published pay is WG-10 (1,160 employees, median $78,930). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of the Interior (639 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in Washington ($85,817) and lowest in Texas ($70,520), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. 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 47% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).
Engineering Equipment 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-5 | 63 | $65,396 |
| WG-8 | 767 | $70,332 |
| WG-9 | 68 | $77,490 |
| WG-10 | 1,160 | $78,930 |
| WL-8 | 45 | $78,784 |
| WL-10 | 160 | $89,407 |
| WS-10 | 120 | $100,050 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Engineering Equipment Operating pay by agency
| Agency | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Interior | 639 | $77,323 |
| Department of Agriculture | 487 | $80,120 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 217 | $72,377 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Engineering Equipment Operating pay by state
The 10 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.
| State | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| California | 213 | $80,235 |
| Oregon | 96 | $79,869 |
| Utah | 71 | $74,589 |
| Wyoming | 69 | $84,210 |
| Arizona | 69 | $81,330 |
| Idaho | 65 | $84,962 |
| Washington | 64 | $85,817 |
| Texas | 60 | $70,520 |
| New Mexico | 56 | $70,666 |
| Florida | 41 | $74,778 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Compare engineering equipment operating pay across all states and agencies →
Change since September 2025
The median moved +4.5% from $74,026 in September 2025 to $77,323 in September 2026. Headcount went from 2,902 to 2,660 (−8.3%). 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.