Pathology Technician

What the Numbers Say About Pathology Technician

Federal agencies employ 405 people in the Pathology Technician occupation (OPM code 646), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -3.8% 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 Pathology Technician runs 10.1 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $70,597 per year, 35.7% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 2.9% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.

Pathology Technician sits inside the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family (code 6), which contains 45 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Pathology Technician 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.

Within the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, Pathology Technician ranks #37 of 45 by headcount, accounting for 0.1% of the family's combined 356,984 employees.