Master
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Master occupation series (code 9902), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
Master is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 91 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 $116,356 it pays near the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 1.1% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 91
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $116,356
- Avg tenure
- 20 yrs
FedScope read on Master (thin series)
0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Master occupation (OPM code 9902): 91 people, headcount down -1.1% 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.
Master pays $116,356 per year on average, moving 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). Employees in this role stay an average of 20 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
The Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (code 99) groups Master together with 54 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Master postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family.
Master makes up 1.3% of the 6,786 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #24 of 55 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary Context
How Master pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$116,356
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-0.8%
Where Master ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $116,356 is higher than 65% of federal occupation series (349 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Master sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Master ranks higher than 65%.
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 Master 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 (91 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($116,356 here).
Key takeaways
- Master pays near the federal average by 0.8% ($116,356 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 65th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 91 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.1% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Master ranks #484 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Master makes up 1.3% of the 6,786 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #24 of 55 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.