Third Officer

What the Numbers Say About Third Officer

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 163 people work in the Third Officer occupation (OPM code 9907) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -3.0% 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.

The average salary for Third Officer is $83,457 per year, placing it 24.0% below the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved down by -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. Average length of service in this role is 4.3 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 Officer sits inside the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (code 99), which contains 51 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Third Officer 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.

Third Officer makes up 2.7% of the 6,135 employees across the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, ranking #10 of 51 occupations in that family by headcount.