Chief Engineer
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Chief Engineer occupation series (code 9931).
The verdict
Chief Engineer is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 122 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family. At an average salary of $189,624 it pays well above the federal average of $117,339.
- Employees
- 122
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $189,624
- Avg tenure
- 18.8 yrs
FedScope read on Chief Engineer (thin series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 122 people work in the Chief Engineer occupation (OPM code 9931) 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.
Average tenure in Chief Engineer runs 18.8 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages $189,624 per year, up 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.
Code 99, the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, is where the federal government classifies Chief Engineer alongside 54 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Chief Engineer postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family.
Chief Engineer makes up 1.8% of the 6,786 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #17 of 55 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Chief Engineer pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$189,624
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+61.6%
Where Chief Engineer ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $189,624 is higher than 98% of federal occupation series (530 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Chief Engineer sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Chief Engineer ranks higher than 98%.
Related Occupations in Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System)
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steward Utilityman | 646 | n/a | 5.1 yrs |
| Ordinary Seaman | 619 | $42,990 | 2.5 yrs |
| Able Seaman-Maintenance | 556 | n/a | 11.2 yrs |
| Wiper | 449 | $42,656 | 2.9 yrs |
| Able Seaman | 338 | $51,760 | 12.1 yrs |
| Engine Utilityman | 283 | n/a | 8.5 yrs |
| Third Officer | 249 | n/a | 4.2 yrs |
| Boatswain's Mate | 199 | $60,969 | 16.9 yrs |
| Assistant Storekeeper | 194 | n/a | 6.1 yrs |
| Second Assistant Engineer | 186 | $107,628 | 13.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Chief Engineer outside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (122 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($189,624 here).
Key takeaways
- Chief Engineer pays well above the federal average by 61.6% ($189,624 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 98th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 122 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Chief Engineer ranks #457 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Chief Engineer makes up 1.8% of the 6,786 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #17 of 55 occupations in that family by headcount.
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.