Miscellaneous Instrument Work
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Miscellaneous Instrument Work occupation series (code 3301): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
Miscellaneous Instrument Work is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 3 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Instrument Work Family family. At an average salary of $85,233 it pays below the federal average of $117,339.
- Employees
- 3
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $85,233
- Avg tenure
- 16.5 yrs
FedScope read on Miscellaneous Instrument Work (thin series)
Federal agencies employ 3 people in the Miscellaneous Instrument Work occupation (OPM code 3301), 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 sideways by 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.
Miscellaneous Instrument Work pays $85,233 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 16.5 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Code 33, the Instrument Work Family family, is where the federal government classifies Miscellaneous Instrument Work alongside 4 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Miscellaneous Instrument Work postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Instrument Work Family family.
Miscellaneous Instrument Work makes up 0.4% of the 718 employees across the Instrument Work Family family, ranking #4 of 5 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary Context
How Miscellaneous Instrument Work pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$85,233
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-27.4%
Where Miscellaneous Instrument Work ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $85,233 is higher than 41% of federal occupation series (222 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Miscellaneous Instrument Work sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Miscellaneous Instrument Work ranks higher than 41%.
Related Occupations in Instrument Work Family
4 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument Mechanic | 330 | $58,348 | 12.8 yrs |
| Precision Measurement Equipment Calibrating | 318 | $91,703 | 15.3 yrs |
| Optical Instrument Repairing | 66 | n/a | 12.7 yrs |
| Instrument Making | 1 | n/a | 30.8 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Miscellaneous Instrument Work outside the Instrument Work Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (3 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($85,233 here).
Key takeaways
- Miscellaneous Instrument Work pays below the federal average by 27.4% ($85,233 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 41st percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 3 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Miscellaneous Instrument Work ranks #652 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Miscellaneous Instrument Work makes up 0.4% of the 718 employees across the Instrument Work Family family, ranking #4 of 5 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.