Chief Engineer

What the Numbers Say About Chief Engineer

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 105 people work in the Chief Engineer occupation (OPM code 9931) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -4.5% 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.

Average tenure in Chief Engineer runs 18.7 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages $192,985 per year, 75.7% above the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 1.9% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement.

Code 99, the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, is where the federal government classifies Chief Engineer alongside 50 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Chief Engineer 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.

Chief Engineer makes up 1.7% of the 6,135 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #20 of 51 occupations in that family by headcount.