Small Engine Mechanic
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Small Engine Mechanic occupation series (code 8610): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Engine Overhaul Family family, Small Engine Mechanic counts 34 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew from the prior period; pay averages $71,351, which pays below the federal-wide average.
- Headcount change
- +3.0%
- Pay change
- -0.5%
- Avg tenure
- 18.3 yrs
- Rank in family
- #3 of 3
FedScope read on Small Engine Mechanic (thin series)
For job seekers weighing career length: this series shows a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement. Headcount moved up 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. As for pay, the latest move was a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement.
Small Engine Mechanic sits inside the Engine Overhaul Family family (code 86), which contains 3 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Small Engine Mechanic postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Engine Overhaul Family family. Small Engine Mechanic makes up 1.9% of the Engine Overhaul Family family's 1,764 combined employees.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Small Engine Mechanic pay compares to the federal average
Occupation Average
$71,351
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-39.2%
Where Small Engine Mechanic ranks on lean federal pay
Small Engine Mechanic earns more on average than 28% of federal occupation series (150 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Small Engine Mechanic sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; the highlighted bar marks Small Engine Mechanic.
Related Occupations in Engine Overhaul Family
2 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Engine Mechanic | 1,686 | $92,060 | 12.2 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Engine Overhaul | 44 | $62,714 | 22.9 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Small Engine Mechanic outside the Engine Overhaul Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (34 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($71,351 here).
Key takeaways
- Place Small Engine Mechanic pay in context with the pay-rank chart above, then compare it with another occupation.
- Turn an average salary into a grade: the GS pay grade tables show how grades and steps map to pay.
- Browse the Engine Overhaul Family family occupations in the table above, or search current Small Engine Mechanic postings on USAJOBS.
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.