Pathology Technician
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Pathology Technician occupation series (code 0646): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, Pathology Technician counts 373 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.1% from the prior period; pay averages $72,679, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 373
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $72,679
- Avg tenure
- 11.5 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Pathology Technician
Federal agencies employ 373 people in the Pathology Technician occupation (OPM code 0646), 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 up by 1.1% 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 11.5 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $72,679 per year, up 0.2% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
Pathology Technician sits inside the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family (code 06), which contains 45 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Pathology Technician postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family.
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 339,162 employees.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Pathology Technician pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$72,679
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-38.1%
Where Pathology Technician ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $72,679 is higher than 29% of federal occupation series (156 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Pathology Technician sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Pathology Technician ranks higher than 29%.
Related Occupations in Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse | 106,218 | $132,267 | 10.2 yrs |
| Medical Support Assistance | 39,856 | $58,279 | 8.2 yrs |
| Medical Officer | 34,687 | $301,569 | 11.6 yrs |
| General Health Science | 17,434 | $133,765 | 11.9 yrs |
| Practical Nurse | 16,755 | $75,898 | 10.4 yrs |
| Pharmacist | 14,529 | $167,390 | 11.1 yrs |
| Nursing Assistant | 14,498 | $55,851 | 7.8 yrs |
| Health Aid and Technician | 12,490 | $61,276 | 10.8 yrs |
| Health System Specialist | 7,966 | $110,534 | 15.9 yrs |
| Pharmacy Technician | 7,658 | $70,794 | 9.5 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Pathology Technician outside the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (373 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($72,679 here).
Key takeaways
- Pathology Technician pays below the federal average by 38.1% ($72,679 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 29th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 373 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.1% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Pathology Technician ranks #330 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- 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 339,162 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.