Deck Engineer-Machinist
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Deck Engineer-Machinist occupation series (code 9952).
The verdict
Deck Engineer-Machinist is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 110 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 n/a it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount grew 1.9% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 110
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- n/a
- Avg tenure
- 16.2 yrs
FedScope read on Deck Engineer-Machinist (thin series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 110 people work in the Deck Engineer-Machinist occupation (OPM code 9952) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved up by 1.9% 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 Deck Engineer-Machinist runs 16.2 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages n/a per year, down 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.
Deck Engineer-Machinist sits inside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (code 99), which contains 55 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Deck Engineer-Machinist postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family.
Within the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, Deck Engineer-Machinist ranks #19 of 55 by headcount, accounting for 1.6% of the family's combined 6,786 employees.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Deck Engineer-Machinist pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
n/a
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-100.0%
Where Deck Engineer-Machinist ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of n/a is higher than 0% of federal occupation series (0 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Deck Engineer-Machinist sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Deck Engineer-Machinist ranks higher than 0%.
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 Deck Engineer-Machinist 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 (110 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families (n/a here).
Key takeaways
- Deck Engineer-Machinist pays below the federal average by 100.0% (n/a vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 0th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 110 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.9% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Deck Engineer-Machinist ranks #467 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, Deck Engineer-Machinist ranks #19 of 55 by headcount, accounting for 1.6% of the family's combined 6,786 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.