Boatswain's Mate
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Boatswain's Mate occupation series (code 9923): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 199 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Boatswain's Mate ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, and headcount grew 1.5% from the prior period. Its average salary of $60,969 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 199
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $60,969
- Avg tenure
- 16.9 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Boatswain's Mate
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 199 people work in the Boatswain's Mate occupation (OPM code 9923) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved up by 1.5% from the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
Boatswain's Mate pays $60,969 per year on average, moving up 0.6% from the prior period (a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement). Employees in this role stay an average of 16.9 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Boatswain's Mate sits inside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (code 99), which contains 55 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Boatswain's Mate postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family.
Boatswain's Mate makes up 2.9% of the 6,786 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #8 of 55 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Boatswain's Mate pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$60,969
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-48.0%
Where Boatswain's Mate ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $60,969 is higher than 15% of federal occupation series (83 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Boatswain's Mate sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Boatswain's Mate ranks higher than 15%.
Related Occupations in Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System)
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steward Utilityman | 646 | n/a | 5.1 yrs |
| Ordinary Seaman | 619 | $42,990 | 2.5 yrs |
| Able Seaman-Maintenance | 556 | n/a | 11.2 yrs |
| Wiper | 449 | $42,656 | 2.9 yrs |
| Able Seaman | 338 | $51,760 | 12.1 yrs |
| Engine Utilityman | 283 | n/a | 8.5 yrs |
| Third Officer | 249 | n/a | 4.2 yrs |
| Assistant Storekeeper | 194 | n/a | 6.1 yrs |
| Second Assistant Engineer | 186 | $107,628 | 13.5 yrs |
| Third Assistant Engineer | 184 | $95,672 | 6.9 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Boatswain's Mate outside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (199 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($60,969 here).
Key takeaways
- Boatswain's Mate pays below the federal average by 48.0% ($60,969 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 15th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 199 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.5% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Boatswain's Mate ranks #408 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Boatswain's Mate makes up 2.9% of the 6,786 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #8 of 55 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.