Computer Engineering
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Computer Engineering occupation series (code 0854): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
Computer Engineering is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 3,753 employees (0.2% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Engineering and Architecture Group family. At an average salary of $160,672 it pays well above the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 4.9% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 3,753
- Share of workforce
- 0.2%
- Avg salary
- $160,672
- Avg tenure
- 14.2 yrs
FedScope read on Computer Engineering (dense series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 3,753 people work in the Computer Engineering occupation (OPM code 0854) across federal agencies, 0.2% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -4.9% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Computer Engineering is $160,672 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.1% 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 14.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 08, the Engineering and Architecture Group family, is where the federal government classifies Computer Engineering alongside 28 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Computer Engineering postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Engineering and Architecture Group family.
Within the Engineering and Architecture Group family, Computer Engineering ranks #9 of 29 by headcount, accounting for 3.1% of the family's combined 120,278 employees. Its average salary ranks in the top half (96th percentile) of pay among Engineering and Architecture Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Computer Engineering pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$160,672
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+36.9%
Where Computer Engineering ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $160,672 is higher than 95% of federal occupation series (512 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Computer Engineering sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Computer Engineering ranks higher than 95%.
Related Occupations in Engineering and Architecture Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Engineering | 27,619 | $158,941 | 16.9 yrs |
| Engineering Technical | 14,443 | $93,062 | 15.2 yrs |
| Mechanical Engineering | 12,920 | $136,601 | 11.9 yrs |
| Electronics Engineering | 12,889 | $155,270 | 16.8 yrs |
| Civil Engineering | 10,260 | $124,230 | 14.7 yrs |
| Aerospace Engineering | 8,359 | $155,848 | 14.8 yrs |
| Electronics Technical | 7,298 | $103,713 | 15.6 yrs |
| Electrical Engineering | 5,231 | $142,419 | 13.5 yrs |
| Nuclear Engineering | 2,813 | n/a | 13.5 yrs |
| Environmental Engineering | 2,429 | $139,024 | 17 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Computer Engineering outside the Engineering and Architecture Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (3,753 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($160,672 here).
Key takeaways
- Computer Engineering pays well above the federal average by 36.9% ($160,672 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 95th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 3,753 employees, 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 4.9% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Computer Engineering ranks #108 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Engineering and Architecture Group family, Computer Engineering ranks #9 of 29 by headcount, accounting for 3.1% of the family's combined 120,278 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.