Metal Forming Machine Operating federal salary series 3869
Full-time federal employees in the Metal Forming Machine Operating series earned a median of $72,064 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 34% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $66,972 and $74,652.
What shapes metal forming machine operating pay
The most common grade with published pay is WG-7 (69 employees, median $68,454). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of the Treasury (217 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in New York ($73,671) and lowest in Colorado ($64,509), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.
OPM withheld pay for 12% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).
Metal Forming Machine Operating pay by grade
Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.
| Pay plan–grade | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| WG-7 | 69 | $68,454 |
| WG-8 | 69 | $72,064 |
| WG-9 | 64 | $74,652 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Metal Forming Machine Operating pay by agency
| Agency | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Treasury | 217 | $72,064 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Metal Forming Machine Operating pay by state
The 3 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.
| State | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 83 | $72,064 |
| Colorado | 65 | $64,509 |
| New York | 51 | $73,671 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Change since September 2025
The median moved +4.7% from $68,808 in September 2025 to $72,064 in September 2026. Headcount went from 296 to 248 (−16.2%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.