Miscellaneous Metal Work
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Miscellaneous Metal Work occupation series (code 3801), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
In the Metal Work Family family, Miscellaneous Metal Work counts 332 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.9% from the prior period; pay averages $83,924, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 332
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $83,924
- Avg tenure
- 13.6 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Miscellaneous Metal Work
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 332 people work in the Miscellaneous Metal Work occupation (OPM code 3801) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved up by 0.9% from 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 Miscellaneous Metal Work is $83,924 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.6% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement. Average length of service in this role is 13.6 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Metal Work Family family (code 38) groups Miscellaneous Metal Work together with 6 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Miscellaneous Metal Work postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Metal Work Family family.
Miscellaneous Metal Work makes up 4.6% of the 7,198 employees across the Metal Work Family family, ranking #3 of 7 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary Context
How Miscellaneous Metal Work pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$83,924
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-28.5%
Where Miscellaneous Metal Work ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $83,924 is higher than 40% of federal occupation series (215 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Miscellaneous Metal Work sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Miscellaneous Metal Work ranks higher than 40%.
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 |
| Metal Forming Machine Operating | 253 | $72,043 | 10.9 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 Miscellaneous Metal Work 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 (332 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($83,924 here).
Key takeaways
- Miscellaneous Metal Work pays below the federal average by 28.5% ($83,924 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 40th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 332 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.9% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Miscellaneous Metal Work ranks #352 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Miscellaneous Metal Work makes up 4.6% of the 7,198 employees across the Metal Work Family family, ranking #3 of 7 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.