Instrument Mechanic

What the Numbers Say About Instrument Mechanic

Federal agencies employ 369 people in the Instrument Mechanic occupation (OPM code 3359), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -11.1% 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 11.5 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $74,850 per year, 31.9% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 3.4% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.

Code 33, the Instrument Work Family family, is where the federal government classifies Instrument Mechanic alongside 2 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Instrument Mechanic 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.

Instrument Mechanic makes up 45.6% of the 809 employees across the Instrument Work Family family, ranking #1 of 3 occupations in that family by headcount.