Shipfitting
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Shipfitting occupation series (code 3820).
The verdict
With 1,201 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce), Shipfitting ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Metal Work Family family, and headcount grew 1.4% from the prior period. Its average salary of $86,635 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 1,201
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $86,635
- Avg tenure
- 10.3 yrs
FedScope read on Shipfitting (dense series)
Federal agencies employ 1,201 people in the Shipfitting occupation (OPM code 3820), accounting for 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved up by 1.4% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Shipfitting is $86,635 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.4% 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 10.3 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 Shipfitting alongside 6 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Shipfitting 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), Shipfitting holds the #2 spot by headcount, a 16.7% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks right at the midpoint of pay among Metal Work Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Shipfitting pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$86,635
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-26.2%
Where Shipfitting ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $86,635 is higher than 42% of federal occupation series (227 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Shipfitting sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Shipfitting ranks higher than 42%.
Related Occupations in Metal Work Family
6 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet Metal Mechanic | 5,196 | $91,094 | 11.5 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 Shipfitting 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 (1,201 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($86,635 here).
Key takeaways
- Shipfitting pays below the federal average by 26.2% ($86,635 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 42nd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 1,201 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.4% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Shipfitting ranks #195 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), Shipfitting holds the #2 spot by headcount, a 16.7% 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.