Metallurgy
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Metallurgy occupation series (code 1321): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Physical Sciences Group family, Metallurgy counts 15 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce; pay averages $171,487, which pays well above the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 15
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $171,487
- Avg tenure
- 18.2 yrs
FedScope read on Metallurgy (thin series)
0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Metallurgy occupation (OPM code 1321): 15 people, headcount sideways 0.0% 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.
The average salary for Metallurgy is $171,487 per year. Salaries moved down by 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. Average length of service in this role is 18.2 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Metallurgy sits inside the Physical Sciences Group family (code 13), which contains 25 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Metallurgy postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Physical Sciences Group family.
Metallurgy makes up 0.1% of the 26,960 employees across the Physical Sciences Group family, ranking #24 of 25 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Metallurgy pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$171,487
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+46.1%
Where Metallurgy ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $171,487 is higher than 96% of federal occupation series (520 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Metallurgy sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Metallurgy ranks higher than 96%.
Related Occupations in Physical Sciences Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Physical Science | 8,297 | $145,078 | 14.6 yrs |
| Chemistry | 4,440 | $149,099 | 14.9 yrs |
| Meteorology | 2,494 | $123,942 | 15.9 yrs |
| Physics | 2,009 | $174,005 | 15.9 yrs |
| Physical Science Technician | 1,577 | $78,820 | 13.3 yrs |
| Hydrology | 1,524 | $116,486 | 17.1 yrs |
| Hydrologic Technician | 1,356 | $76,077 | 12.9 yrs |
| Geology | 1,240 | $124,746 | 14 yrs |
| Health Physics | 746 | $146,649 | 16.4 yrs |
| Cartography | 487 | $120,890 | 16.3 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Metallurgy outside the Physical Sciences Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (15 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($171,487 here).
Key takeaways
- Metallurgy pays well above the federal average by 46.1% ($171,487 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 96th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 15 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Metallurgy ranks #617 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Metallurgy makes up 0.1% of the 26,960 employees across the Physical Sciences Group family, ranking #24 of 25 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.