Powered Support Systems Mechanic

What the Numbers Say About Powered Support Systems Mechanic

Federal agencies employ 1,657 people in the Powered Support Systems Mechanic occupation (OPM code 5378), accounting for 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved up by 1.7% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

Average tenure in Powered Support Systems Mechanic runs 9.2 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $81,195 per year, 26.1% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 2.0% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement.

Powered Support Systems Mechanic sits inside the Industrial Equipment Maintenance Family family (code 53), which contains 11 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Powered Support Systems Mechanic 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.

Inside the Industrial Equipment Maintenance Family family (11 occupations, 10,607 employees combined), Powered Support Systems Mechanic holds the #3 spot by headcount, a 15.6% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the top half (55th percentile) of pay among Industrial Equipment Maintenance Family occupations.