Pipefitting
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Pipefitting occupation series (code 4204): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
Pipefitting is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 3,398 employees (0.2% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family. At an average salary of $80,582 it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 0.4% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 3,398
- Share of workforce
- 0.2%
- Avg salary
- $80,582
- Avg tenure
- 10.2 yrs
FedScope read on Pipefitting (dense series)
0.2% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Pipefitting occupation (OPM code 4204): 3,398 people, headcount down -0.4% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Pipefitting pays $80,582 per year on average, moving up 0.1% 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 10.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family (code 42) groups Pipefitting together with 3 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Pipefitting postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family.
Inside the Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family (4 occupations, 4,411 employees combined), Pipefitting holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 77.0% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (0th percentile) of pay among Plumbing and Pipefitting Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Pipefitting pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$80,582
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-31.3%
Where Pipefitting ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $80,582 is higher than 37% of federal occupation series (198 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Pipefitting sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Pipefitting ranks higher than 37%.
Related Occupations in Plumbing and Pipefitting Family
3 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | 822 | $84,050 | 10.2 yrs |
| Fuel Distribution System Mechanic | 133 | n/a | 13.4 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Plumbing and Pipefitting | 58 | $150,118 | 13.2 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Pipefitting outside the Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (3,398 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($80,582 here).
Key takeaways
- Pipefitting pays below the federal average by 31.3% ($80,582 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 37th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 3,398 employees, 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.4% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Pipefitting ranks #114 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Plumbing and Pipefitting Family family (4 occupations, 4,411 employees combined), Pipefitting holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 77.0% share of the family total.
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.