Metal Forming Machine Operating
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Metal Forming Machine Operating occupation series (code 3869).
The verdict
With 253 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Metal Forming Machine Operating ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Metal Work Family family, and headcount declined 0.8% from the prior period. Its average salary of $72,043 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 253
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $72,043
- Avg tenure
- 10.9 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Metal Forming Machine Operating
Federal agencies employ 253 people in the Metal Forming Machine Operating occupation (OPM code 3869), 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 -0.8% 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 Metal Forming Machine Operating runs 10.9 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $72,043 per year, up 0.1% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
The Metal Work Family family (code 38) groups Metal Forming Machine Operating together with 6 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Metal Forming Machine Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Metal Work Family family.
Within the Metal Work Family family, Metal Forming Machine Operating ranks #4 of 7 by headcount, accounting for 3.5% of the family's combined 7,198 employees.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Metal Forming Machine Operating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$72,043
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-38.6%
Where Metal Forming Machine Operating ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $72,043 is higher than 28% of federal occupation series (152 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Metal Forming Machine Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Metal Forming Machine Operating ranks higher than 28%.
Related Occupations in Metal Work Family
6 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet Metal Mechanic | 5,196 | $91,094 | 11.5 yrs |
| Shipfitting | 1,201 | $86,635 | 10.3 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Metal Work | 332 | $83,924 | 13.6 yrs |
| Mobile Equipment Metal Mechanic | 109 | $95,960 | 12.2 yrs |
| Boilermaking | 85 | n/a | 10.8 yrs |
| Metal Forging | 22 | $85,880 | 11 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Metal Forming Machine Operating outside the Metal 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 (253 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($72,043 here).
Key takeaways
- Metal Forming Machine Operating pays below the federal average by 38.6% ($72,043 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 28th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 253 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.8% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Metal Forming Machine Operating ranks #382 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Metal Work Family family, Metal Forming Machine Operating ranks #4 of 7 by headcount, accounting for 3.5% of the family's combined 7,198 employees.
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.