Hand Composing
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Hand Composing occupation series (code 4403).
The verdict
With 135 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Hand Composing ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Printing Family family, and headcount declined 0.7% from the prior period. Its average salary of $102,719 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 135
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $102,719
- Avg tenure
- 15.2 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Hand Composing
0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (1,953,300 employees total, June 2026) works in the Hand Composing occupation (OPM code 4403): 135 people, headcount down -0.7% 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.
The average salary for Hand Composing is $102,719 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.0% 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 15.2 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
The Printing Family family (code 44) groups Hand Composing together with 8 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Hand Composing postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Printing Family family.
Hand Composing makes up 13.6% of the 994 employees across the Printing Family family, ranking #4 of 9 occupations in that family by headcount.
Salary Context
How Hand Composing pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$102,719
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-12.5%
Where Hand Composing ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $102,719 is higher than 55% of federal occupation series (300 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Hand Composing sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Hand Composing ranks higher than 55%.
Related Occupations in Printing Family
8 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bindery Working | 256 | $103,645 | 12.8 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Printing and Reproduction | 189 | $85,576 | 16 yrs |
| Letterpress Operating | 180 | $137,778 | 12 yrs |
| Intaglio Press Operating | 119 | $137,286 | 13.2 yrs |
| Offset Press Operating | 56 | $118,773 | 19.4 yrs |
| Bookbinding | 29 | $124,878 | 14 yrs |
| Platemaking | 15 | $115,980 | 19.3 yrs |
| Electrolytic Intaglio Platemaking | 15 | $142,639 | 20.1 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Hand Composing outside the Printing Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (135 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($102,719 here).
Key takeaways
- Hand Composing pays below the federal average by 12.5% ($102,719 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 55th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 135 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 0.7% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Hand Composing ranks #441 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Hand Composing makes up 13.6% of the 994 employees across the Printing Family family, ranking #4 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.