Buffing and Polishing
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Buffing and Polishing occupation series (code 3727): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 6 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Buffing and Polishing ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Metal Processing Family family. Its average salary of $84,749 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 6
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $84,749
- Avg tenure
- 16.4 yrs
FedScope read on Buffing and Polishing (thin series)
Federal agencies employ 6 people in the Buffing and Polishing occupation (OPM code 3727), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved sideways by 0.0% versus 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.
The average salary for Buffing and Polishing is $84,749 per year. Salaries moved down by 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. Average length of service in this role is 16.4 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
The Metal Processing Family family (code 37) groups Buffing and Polishing together with 8 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Buffing and Polishing postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Metal Processing Family family.
Within the Metal Processing Family family, Buffing and Polishing ranks #9 of 9 by headcount, accounting for 0.2% of the family's combined 3,792 employees.
Salary Context
How Buffing and Polishing pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$84,749
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-27.8%
Where Buffing and Polishing ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $84,749 is higher than 41% of federal occupation series (221 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Buffing and Polishing sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Buffing and Polishing ranks higher than 41%.
Related Occupations in Metal Processing Family
8 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding | 2,325 | $87,563 | 11.4 yrs |
| Non-Destructive Testing | 904 | $98,385 | 10.1 yrs |
| Electroplating | 272 | n/a | 10.7 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Metal Processing | 102 | n/a | 12.4 yrs |
| Metalizing | 70 | n/a | 14.8 yrs |
| Shot Peening Machine Operating | 54 | n/a | 16.9 yrs |
| Heat Treating | 46 | $79,709 | 16.9 yrs |
| Battery Repairing | 13 | $72,252 | 19.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Buffing and Polishing outside the Metal Processing 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 (6 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($84,749 here).
Key takeaways
- Buffing and Polishing pays below the federal average by 27.8% ($84,749 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 41st percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 6 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Buffing and Polishing ranks #641 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Metal Processing Family family, Buffing and Polishing ranks #9 of 9 by headcount, accounting for 0.2% of the family's combined 3,792 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.