Aircraft Engine Mechanic

What the Numbers Say About Aircraft Engine Mechanic

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 2,010 people work in the Aircraft Engine Mechanic occupation (OPM code 8602) across federal agencies, 0.1% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -2.9% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

Aircraft Engine Mechanic pays $77,058 per year on average, 29.9% below the $109,869 federal civilian average, after moving up 2.1% from the prior period (a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce). Employees in this role stay an average of 9.9 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

The Engine Overhaul Family family (code 86) groups Aircraft Engine Mechanic together with 2 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Aircraft Engine Mechanic postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Aircraft Engine Mechanic makes up 97.1% of the 2,071 employees across the Engine Overhaul Family family, ranking #1 of 3 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (33rd percentile) of pay among Engine Overhaul Family occupations.