Platemaking

What the Numbers Say About Platemaking

Federal agencies employ 18 people in the Platemaking occupation (OPM code 4416), 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 -10.0% 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.

Average tenure in Platemaking runs 19.9 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Pay averages $107,242 per year, 2.4% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 4.4% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.

The Printing Family family (code 44) groups Platemaking together with 8 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Platemaking 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 Printing Family family, Platemaking ranks #8 of 9 by headcount, accounting for 1.7% of the family's combined 1,052 employees.