Boilermaking
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Boilermaking occupation series (code 3808): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
Boilermaking is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 85 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Metal Work Family family. At an average salary of n/a it pays below the federal average of $117,339.
- Employees
- 85
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- n/a
- Avg tenure
- 10.8 yrs
FedScope read on Boilermaking (thin series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 85 people work in the Boilermaking occupation (OPM code 3808) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved sideways by 0.0% 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.
Boilermaking pays n/a 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 10.8 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 38, the Metal Work Family family, is where the federal government classifies Boilermaking alongside 6 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Boilermaking postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Metal Work Family family.
Within the Metal Work Family family, Boilermaking ranks #6 of 7 by headcount, accounting for 1.2% of the family's combined 7,198 employees.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Boilermaking pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
n/a
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-100.0%
Where Boilermaking ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of n/a is higher than 0% of federal occupation series (0 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Boilermaking sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Boilermaking ranks higher than 0%.
Related Occupations in Metal Work Family
6 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet Metal Mechanic | 5,196 | $91,094 | 11.5 yrs |
| Shipfitting | 1,201 | $86,635 | 10.3 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Metal Work | 332 | $83,924 | 13.6 yrs |
| Metal Forming Machine Operating | 253 | $72,043 | 10.9 yrs |
| Mobile Equipment Metal Mechanic | 109 | $95,960 | 12.2 yrs |
| Metal Forging | 22 | $85,880 | 11 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Boilermaking outside the Metal Work Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (85 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families (n/a here).
Key takeaways
- Boilermaking pays below the federal average by 100.0% (n/a vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 0th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 85 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Boilermaking ranks #488 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Metal Work Family family, Boilermaking ranks #6 of 7 by headcount, accounting for 1.2% of the family's combined 7,198 employees.
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.