Third Assistant Engineer
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Third Assistant Engineer occupation series (code 9934): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
Third Assistant Engineer is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 184 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family. At an average salary of $95,672 it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 1.1% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 184
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $95,672
- Avg tenure
- 6.9 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Third Assistant Engineer
Federal agencies employ 184 people in the Third Assistant Engineer occupation (OPM code 9934), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -1.1% 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.
Third Assistant Engineer pays $95,672 per year on average, moving up 0.2% from the prior period (a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change). Employees in this role stay an average of 6.9 years, a comparatively short average tenure, which can reflect faster turnover, a competitive private-sector alternative, or a newer program still building up its workforce.
Third Assistant Engineer sits inside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (code 99), which contains 55 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Third Assistant Engineer postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family.
Inside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (55 occupations, 6,786 employees combined), Third Assistant Engineer holds the #11 spot by headcount, a 2.7% share of the family total.
Salary Context
How Third Assistant Engineer pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$95,672
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-18.5%
Where Third Assistant Engineer ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $95,672 is higher than 51% of federal occupation series (276 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Third Assistant Engineer sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Third Assistant Engineer ranks higher than 51%.
Related Occupations in Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System)
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steward Utilityman | 646 | n/a | 5.1 yrs |
| Ordinary Seaman | 619 | $42,990 | 2.5 yrs |
| Able Seaman-Maintenance | 556 | n/a | 11.2 yrs |
| Wiper | 449 | $42,656 | 2.9 yrs |
| Able Seaman | 338 | $51,760 | 12.1 yrs |
| Engine Utilityman | 283 | n/a | 8.5 yrs |
| Third Officer | 249 | n/a | 4.2 yrs |
| Boatswain's Mate | 199 | $60,969 | 16.9 yrs |
| Assistant Storekeeper | 194 | n/a | 6.1 yrs |
| Second Assistant Engineer | 186 | $107,628 | 13.5 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Third Assistant Engineer outside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (184 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($95,672 here).
Key takeaways
- Third Assistant Engineer pays below the federal average by 18.5% ($95,672 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 51st percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 184 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.1% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Third Assistant Engineer ranks #419 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (55 occupations, 6,786 employees combined), Third Assistant Engineer holds the #11 spot by headcount, a 2.7% 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.