Boilermaking

What the Numbers Say About Boilermaking

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 92 people work in the Boilermaking occupation (OPM code 3808) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -8.0% 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 $69,708 per year on average, 36.6% below the $109,869 federal civilian average, after moving up 1.4% from the prior period (a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement). Employees in this role stay an average of 9.2 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, 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.

Within the Metal Work Family family, Boilermaking ranks #6 of 7 by headcount, accounting for 1.1% of the family's combined 8,014 employees.