Composite/plastic Fabricating

What the Numbers Say About Composite/plastic Fabricating

0.1% of the federal civilian workforce (2,289,472 employees total, March 2025) works in the Composite/plastic Fabricating occupation (OPM code 4352): 1,268 people, headcount up 2.0% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

Average tenure in Composite/plastic Fabricating runs 9.7 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $75,646 per year, 31.1% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 3.0% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.

Code 43, the Pliable Materials Work Family family, is where the federal government classifies Composite/plastic Fabricating alongside 3 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Composite/plastic Fabricating 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.

Inside the Pliable Materials Work Family family (4 occupations, 1,395 employees combined), Composite/plastic Fabricating holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 90.9% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the top half (75th percentile) of pay among Pliable Materials Work Family occupations.