Welding
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Welding occupation series (code 3703).
The verdict
In the Metal Processing Family family, Welding counts 2,325 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.4% from the prior period; pay averages $87,563, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 2,325
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $87,563
- Avg tenure
- 11.4 yrs
FedScope read on Welding (dense series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 2,325 people work in the Welding occupation (OPM code 3703) across federal agencies, 0.1% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -0.4% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Welding is $87,563 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.8% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement. Average length of service in this role is 11.4 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
The Metal Processing Family family (code 37) groups Welding together with 8 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Welding postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Metal Processing Family family.
Welding makes up 61.3% of the 3,792 employees across the Metal Processing Family family, ranking #1 of 9 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (60th percentile) of pay among Metal Processing Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Welding pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$87,563
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-25.4%
Where Welding ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $87,563 is higher than 43% of federal occupation series (233 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Welding sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Welding ranks higher than 43%.
Related Occupations in Metal Processing Family
8 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Destructive Testing | 904 | $98,385 | 10.1 yrs |
| Electroplating | 272 | n/a | 10.7 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Metal Processing | 102 | n/a | 12.4 yrs |
| Metalizing | 70 | n/a | 14.8 yrs |
| Shot Peening Machine Operating | 54 | n/a | 16.9 yrs |
| Heat Treating | 46 | $79,709 | 16.9 yrs |
| Battery Repairing | 13 | $72,252 | 19.5 yrs |
| Buffing and Polishing | 6 | $84,749 | 16.4 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Welding outside the Metal Processing Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (2,325 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($87,563 here).
Key takeaways
- Welding pays below the federal average by 25.4% ($87,563 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 43rd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 2,325 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.4% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Welding ranks #144 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Welding makes up 61.3% of the 3,792 employees across the Metal Processing Family family, ranking #1 of 9 occupations in that family by headcount.
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.