Special Weapons Systems Mechanic
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Special Weapons Systems Mechanic occupation series (code 6656), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (March 2025).
The verdict
Special Weapons Systems Mechanic is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 36 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Armament Work Family family. At an average salary of $78,140 it pays below the federal average of $109,869.
- Employees
- 36
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $78,140
- Avg tenure
- 11 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Special Weapons Systems Mechanic
Federal agencies employ 36 people in the Special Weapons Systems Mechanic occupation (OPM code 6656), 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 sideways by 0.0% 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 Special Weapons Systems Mechanic runs 11 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $78,140 per year, 28.9% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 6.8% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.
Special Weapons Systems Mechanic sits inside the Armament Work Family family (code 66), which contains 6 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Special Weapons 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 Armament Work Family family (6 occupations, 2,175 employees combined), Special Weapons Systems Mechanic holds the #6 spot by headcount, a 1.7% share of the family total.
Employees
36
0.0% from prior period
Average Salary
$78,140
+6.8%
Avg Length of Service
11 yrs
Occupation Family
Armament Work Family
Salary Context
How Special Weapons Systems Mechanic pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Occupation Average
$78,140
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
-28.9%
Where Special Weapons Systems Mechanic ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $78,140 is higher than 43% of federal occupation series (274 of 634). The highlighted bar marks where Special Weapons Systems Mechanic sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 634 federal occupation series; Special Weapons Systems Mechanic ranks higher than 43%.
Related Occupations in Armament Work Family
5 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Ordnance Systems Mechanic | 812 | $86,890 | 8.9 yrs |
| Ordnance Equipment Mechanic | 608 | $80,762 | 9 yrs |
| Small Arms Repairing | 488 | $66,521 | 8.7 yrs |
| Artillery Repairing | 161 | $67,956 | 8.8 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Armament Work | 70 | $79,479 | 10 yrs |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) FedScope Employment Cubes, March 2025. Federal civilian non-seasonal full-time and part-time employees. Data does not include military personnel, postal workers, or intelligence agency staff. Last updated: 2026-03-10.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
PlainGovJobs is rendered directly from OPM FedScope federal-workforce data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on OPM FedScope occupation-level employment records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.