Machining
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Machining occupation series (code 3414), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
Machining is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 2,942 employees (0.2% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Machine Tool Work Family family. At an average salary of $92,123 it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 0.5% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 2,942
- Share of workforce
- 0.2%
- Avg salary
- $92,123
- Avg tenure
- 11.2 yrs
FedScope read on Machining (dense series)
Federal agencies employ 2,942 people in the Machining occupation (OPM code 3414), accounting for 0.2% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -0.5% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Machining pays $92,123 per year on average, moving up 0.6% from the prior period (a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement). Employees in this role stay an average of 11.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Machine Tool Work Family family (code 34) groups Machining together with 3 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Machining postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Machine Tool Work Family family.
Machining makes up 82.5% of the 3,567 employees across the Machine Tool Work Family family, ranking #1 of 4 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (67th percentile) of pay among Machine Tool Work Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Machining pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$92,123
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-21.5%
Where Machining ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $92,123 is higher than 47% of federal occupation series (256 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Machining sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Machining ranks higher than 47%.
Related Occupations in Machine Tool Work Family
3 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toolmaking | 394 | $87,012 | 15.3 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Machine Tool Work | 230 | $91,088 | 17.2 yrs |
| Die Sinking | 1 | n/a | 19.7 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Machining outside the Machine Tool Work Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (2,942 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($92,123 here).
Key takeaways
- Machining pays below the federal average by 21.5% ($92,123 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 47th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 2,942 employees, 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.5% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Machining ranks #126 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Machining makes up 82.5% of the 3,567 employees across the Machine Tool Work Family family, ranking #1 of 4 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.