Metal Forging

What the Numbers Say About Metal Forging

0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (2,289,472 employees total, March 2025) works in the Metal Forging occupation (OPM code 3802): 24 people, headcount up 4.3% 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.

Metal Forging pays $77,554 per year on average, 29.4% below the $109,869 federal civilian average, after moving up 2.2% from the prior period (a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce). Employees in this role stay an average of 11.1 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

Code 38, the Metal Work Family family, is where the federal government classifies Metal Forging alongside 6 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Metal Forging 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.

Inside the Metal Work Family family (7 occupations, 8,014 employees combined), Metal Forging holds the #7 spot by headcount, a 0.3% share of the family total.