Boatswain's Mate

What the Numbers Say About Boatswain's Mate

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 175 people work in the Boatswain's Mate occupation (OPM code 9923) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -0.6% 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 $61,606 per year on average, 43.9% below the $109,869 federal civilian average, after 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 17.2 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 51 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Boatswain's Mate 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.

Boatswain's Mate makes up 2.9% of the 6,135 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #7 of 51 occupations in that family by headcount.