Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic occupation series (code 5306).
The verdict
With 2,341 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce), Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Industrial Equipment Maintenance Family family, and headcount declined 0.8% from the prior period. Its average salary of $81,732 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 2,341
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $81,732
- Avg tenure
- 10.7 yrs
FedScope read on Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic (dense series)
Federal agencies employ 2,341 people in the Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic occupation (OPM code 5306), accounting for 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -0.8% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic is $81,732 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 10.7 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Industrial Equipment Maintenance Family family (code 53) groups Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic together with 11 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Industrial Equipment Maintenance Family family.
Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic makes up 23.7% of the 9,873 employees across the Industrial Equipment Maintenance Family family, ranking #2 of 12 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (55th percentile) of pay among Industrial Equipment Maintenance Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$81,732
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-30.3%
Where Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $81,732 is higher than 38% of federal occupation series (206 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic ranks higher than 38%.
Related Occupations in Industrial Equipment Maintenance Family
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Machinery Mechanic | 2,930 | $82,216 | 9.9 yrs |
| Powered Support Systems Mechanic | 1,423 | $79,568 | 12.1 yrs |
| Industrial Equipment Mechanic | 1,058 | $110,522 | 14.6 yrs |
| Misc Industrial Equipment Maintenance | 846 | $96,979 | 14.3 yrs |
| Production Machinery Mechanic | 562 | $80,047 | 12.8 yrs |
| Lock and Dam Repairing | 430 | $121,526 | 16.1 yrs |
| Heating & Boiler Plant Equipmt Mechanic | 232 | $79,114 | 12.5 yrs |
| Laundry & Dry Cleaning Equipmt Repairing | 22 | $79,576 | 17.9 yrs |
| Oiling and Greasing | 19 | $69,636 | 14.7 yrs |
| Elevator Mechanic | 7 | $81,184 | 20.2 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic outside the Industrial Equipment Maintenance Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (2,341 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($81,732 here).
Key takeaways
- Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic pays below the federal average by 30.3% ($81,732 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 38th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 2,341 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.8% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic ranks #142 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Air Conditioning Equipment Mechanic makes up 23.7% of the 9,873 employees across the Industrial Equipment Maintenance Family family, ranking #2 of 12 occupations in that family by headcount.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.