Able Seaman federal salary series 9924
Full-time federal employees in the Able Seaman series earned a median of $51,022 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 53% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $51,022 and $51,022.
What shapes able seaman pay
The most common grade with published pay is WM-2 (41 employees, median $51,022). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Commerce (47 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 86% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).
Able Seaman 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 |
|---|---|---|
| WM-2 | 41 | $51,022 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Able Seaman pay by agency
| Agency | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Commerce | 47 | $51,022 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Change since September 2025
The median moved +1.0% from $50,517 in September 2025 to $51,022 in September 2026. Headcount went from 286 to 338 (+18.2%). 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.
Related occupations in Vessel Jobs Family (Excluded from the Federal Wage System)
- Miscellaneous Vessel Jobs (9901)$63,529
- Seaman-Fisherman (9927)$56,244