Instrument Mechanic
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Instrument Mechanic occupation series (code 3359): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 330 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Instrument Mechanic ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Instrument Work Family family, and headcount declined 2.1% from the prior period. Its average salary of $58,348 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 330
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $58,348
- Avg tenure
- 12.8 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Instrument Mechanic
Federal agencies employ 330 people in the Instrument Mechanic occupation (OPM code 3359), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -2.1% versus 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 Instrument Mechanic runs 12.8 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $58,348 per year, down -0.4% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
Code 33, the Instrument Work Family family, is where the federal government classifies Instrument Mechanic alongside 4 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Instrument Mechanic postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Instrument Work Family family.
Instrument Mechanic makes up 46.0% of the 718 employees across the Instrument Work Family family, ranking #1 of 5 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Instrument Mechanic pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$58,348
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-50.3%
Where Instrument Mechanic ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $58,348 is higher than 12% of federal occupation series (67 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Instrument Mechanic sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Instrument Mechanic ranks higher than 12%.
Related Occupations in Instrument Work Family
4 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precision Measurement Equipment Calibrating | 318 | $91,703 | 15.3 yrs |
| Optical Instrument Repairing | 66 | n/a | 12.7 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Instrument Work | 3 | $85,233 | 16.5 yrs |
| Instrument Making | 1 | n/a | 30.8 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Instrument Mechanic outside the Instrument Work Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (330 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($58,348 here).
Key takeaways
- Instrument Mechanic pays below the federal average by 50.3% ($58,348 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 12th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 330 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 2.1% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Instrument Mechanic ranks #354 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Instrument Mechanic makes up 46.0% of the 718 employees across the Instrument Work Family family, ranking #1 of 5 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.