Telecommunications Mechanic
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Telecommunications Mechanic occupation series (code 2502), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
Telecommunications Mechanic is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 176 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Wire Communications Equipment Installation and Maintenance Family family. At an average salary of $74,659 it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 1.7% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 176
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $74,659
- Avg tenure
- 13.5 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Telecommunications Mechanic
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 176 people work in the Telecommunications Mechanic occupation (OPM code 2502) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -1.7% from 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 Telecommunications Mechanic runs 13.5 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $74,659 per year, up 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.
Code 25, the Wire Communications Equipment Installation and Maintenance Family family, is where the federal government classifies Telecommunications Mechanic alongside 2 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Telecommunications Mechanic postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Wire Communications Equipment Installation and Maintenance Family family.
Within the Wire Communications Equipment Installation and Maintenance Family family, Telecommunications Mechanic is the single largest occupation by headcount, accounting for 55.5% of the family's combined 317 employees.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Telecommunications Mechanic pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$74,659
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-36.4%
Where Telecommunications Mechanic ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $74,659 is higher than 31% of federal occupation series (167 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Telecommunications Mechanic sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Telecommunications Mechanic ranks higher than 31%.
Related Occupations in Wire Communications Equipment Installation and Maintenance Family
2 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wire Communications Cable Splicing | 124 | n/a | 11.6 yrs |
| Misc Wire Communca Equipmt Install & Maint | 17 | $135,905 | 13.7 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Telecommunications Mechanic outside the Wire Communications Equipment Installation and Maintenance Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (176 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($74,659 here).
Key takeaways
- Telecommunications Mechanic pays below the federal average by 36.4% ($74,659 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 31st percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 176 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.7% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Telecommunications Mechanic ranks #423 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Wire Communications Equipment Installation and Maintenance Family family, Telecommunications Mechanic is the single largest occupation by headcount, accounting for 55.5% of the family's combined 317 employees.
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.