Grades and pay
Typical grades
WG-9 to WG-11
Most common promotion potential: WG-11
WG pay plan, used by 86% of this series' postings.
Typical posted salary range
$68,203 to $79,556 per year
Median of the yearly salary ranges in posted announcements.
Series 5406
Utility Systems Operating
Utility systems operators who run and maintain several building systems at once, such as boilers, air conditioning, and water treatment. Most jobs are at Veterans Affairs medical centers.
See open 5406 jobs on USAJOBS Compare with another series Back to Series Directory
At a glance
- Job postings, last 12 months
- 107
- Open now
- 10
- Trend (last 3 months vs. 3 before)
- Rising (+22%)
- Demand score
- 62/100
- Remote opportunity score
- 0/100
- Veteran opportunity score
- 95/100
Grades and pay
Who can apply
Share of job postings in the last 12 months, by who the announcement was open to.
- Open to the public
- 68%
- Federal employees and other special groups only
- 32%
- Listed a veterans hiring path
- 27%
- Telework eligible (open now)
- 0%
- Fully remote (open now)
- 0%
Who is hiring and where
Hiring patterns
Based on job announcements since Mar 2017. How patterns are calculated
When this series usually posts jobs
Postings usually peak in March and August and are lowest in November.
| Month | Compared with an average month |
|---|---|
| January | About average |
| February | 9% below average |
| March | 19% above average |
| April | About average |
| May | About average |
| June | 5% below average |
| July | 6% below average |
| August | 12% above average |
| September | About average |
| October | About average |
| November | 12% below average |
| December | 8% below average |
Postings by fiscal year
The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. Fiscal years 2025 and 2026 include the government-wide hiring freeze that began in January 2025.
| Fiscal year | Postings |
|---|---|
| FY 2018 | 94 |
| FY 2019 | 85 |
| FY 2020 | 83 |
| FY 2021 | 65 |
| FY 2022 | 111 |
| FY 2023 | 103 |
| FY 2024 | 85 |
| FY 2025 | 55 |
| FY 2026 | 100 |
Postings by month, last 12 months
| Month | Postings |
|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | 13 |
| Mar 2026 | 15 |
| Apr 2026 | 11 |
| May 2026 | 8 |
| Jun 2026 | 9 |
| Jul 2026 | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | 11 |
| Sep 2026 | 5 |
| Oct 2026 | 12 |
| Nov 2026 | 4 |
Related series in Industrial Equipment Operation Family
- 5413 Fuel Distribution System Operating 136 postings in 12 months
- 5402 Boiler Plant Operating 118 postings in 12 months
- 5407 Electric Power Controlling 92 postings in 12 months
- 5426 Lock and Dam Operating 55 postings in 12 months
- 5409 Water Treatment Plant Operating 38 postings in 12 months
About this data
Job numbers come from the USAJOBS API: 244,223 job announcements opened from December 1, 2025 to November 15, 2026, plus 12,260 announcements open on November 15, 2026. Canceled announcements are not counted. Series descriptions summarize the OPM Handbook of Occupational Groups and Families.
These figures describe posted job announcements, not hiring outcomes. Always read the official announcement and its qualification requirements before applying. How the scores are calculated.