Aircraft Engine Mechanic
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Aircraft Engine Mechanic occupation series (code 8602).
The verdict
Aircraft Engine Mechanic is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 1,686 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Engine Overhaul Family family. At an average salary of $92,060 it pays below the federal average of $117,339.
- Employees
- 1,686
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $92,060
- Avg tenure
- 12.2 yrs
FedScope read on Aircraft Engine Mechanic (dense series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 1,686 people work in the Aircraft Engine Mechanic occupation (OPM code 8602) across federal agencies, 0.1% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved sideways by 0.0% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Aircraft Engine Mechanic pays $92,060 per year on average, moving down 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). Employees in this role stay an average of 12.2 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 in the Engine Overhaul Family family.
Aircraft Engine Mechanic makes up 95.6% of the 1,764 employees across the Engine Overhaul Family family, ranking #1 of 3 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (67th percentile) of pay among Engine Overhaul Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Aircraft Engine Mechanic pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$92,060
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-21.5%
Where Aircraft Engine Mechanic ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $92,060 is higher than 47% of federal occupation series (255 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Aircraft Engine Mechanic sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Aircraft Engine Mechanic ranks higher than 47%.
Related Occupations in Engine Overhaul Family
2 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Engine Overhaul | 44 | $62,714 | 22.9 yrs |
| Small Engine Mechanic | 34 | $71,351 | 18.3 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Aircraft Engine Mechanic outside the Engine Overhaul 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 (1,686 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($92,060 here).
Key takeaways
- Aircraft Engine Mechanic pays below the federal average by 21.5% ($92,060 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 47th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 1,686 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Aircraft Engine Mechanic ranks #162 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Aircraft Engine Mechanic makes up 95.6% of the 1,764 employees across the Engine Overhaul Family family, ranking #1 of 3 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.