Sheet Metal Mechanic
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Sheet Metal Mechanic occupation series (code 3806).
The verdict
In the Metal Work Family family, Sheet Metal Mechanic counts 5,196 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.3% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.3% from the prior period; pay averages $91,094, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 5,196
- Share of workforce
- 0.3%
- Avg salary
- $91,094
- Avg tenure
- 11.5 yrs
FedScope read on Sheet Metal Mechanic (dense series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 5,196 people work in the Sheet Metal Mechanic occupation (OPM code 3806) across federal agencies, 0.3% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved up by 0.3% from the prior period, a useful gauge for job seekers on USAJOBS trying to assess whether this role is expanding government-wide or contracting under hiring freezes and attrition.
The average salary for Sheet Metal Mechanic is $91,094 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.3% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 11.5 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 38, the Metal Work Family family, is where the federal government classifies Sheet Metal Mechanic alongside 6 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Sheet Metal Mechanic postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Metal Work Family family.
Inside the Metal Work Family family (7 occupations, 7,198 employees combined), Sheet Metal Mechanic holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 72.2% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the top half (67th percentile) of pay among Metal Work Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Sheet Metal Mechanic pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$91,094
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-22.4%
Where Sheet Metal Mechanic ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $91,094 is higher than 46% of federal occupation series (249 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Sheet Metal Mechanic sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Sheet Metal Mechanic ranks higher than 46%.
Related Occupations in Metal Work Family
6 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shipfitting | 1,201 | $86,635 | 10.3 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Metal Work | 332 | $83,924 | 13.6 yrs |
| Metal Forming Machine Operating | 253 | $72,043 | 10.9 yrs |
| Mobile Equipment Metal Mechanic | 109 | $95,960 | 12.2 yrs |
| Boilermaking | 85 | n/a | 10.8 yrs |
| Metal Forging | 22 | $85,880 | 11 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Sheet Metal Mechanic outside the Metal Work 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 (5,196 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($91,094 here).
Key takeaways
- Sheet Metal Mechanic pays below the federal average by 22.4% ($91,094 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 46th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 5,196 employees, 0.3% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.3% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Sheet Metal Mechanic ranks #83 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Metal Work Family family (7 occupations, 7,198 employees combined), Sheet Metal Mechanic holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 72.2% 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.