The Federal Job Series 3300 – Instrument Work contains a number of skilled trades jobs under the Federal Wage System (FWS) that involve installing, maintaining, repairing, and calibrating precision instruments and control systems. These jobs are very important for keeping the technical infrastructure of federal agencies running, especially in places where it is important to be able to measure and control things like pressure, temperature, flow, and speed accurately.

The Instrument Mechanic (3359) is one of the most important jobs in this series. These experts operate on a wide range of instruments that may have electric, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, or electronic parts. They are responsible for installing, aligning, changing, troubleshooting, repairing, overhauling, testing, and calibrating these equipment to make sure they work correctly and consistently 1.

Instrument mechanics employ both manual and automatic test equipment, like pneumatic or hydraulic test stands and electronic test consoles that are controlled by computers. They also use dial indicators, micrometers, sine bars, and plug and ring gauges, which are all tools for measuring things very accurately. You need to have a good grasp of electrical and mechanical concepts, and sometimes even electronic theory, especially when working with integrated or digital systems.

These jobs are common at military bases, research labs, factories, and energy plants, where it is important to keep instruments accurate and reliable for safety and operational success. As students move up in grade, the work gets harder. Higher-grade jobs require more independence, diagnostic skills, and knowledge of complicated systems.