Technical Writing and Editing
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Technical Writing and Editing occupation series (code 1083), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
With 816 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Technical Writing and Editing ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Information and Arts Group family, and headcount declined 1.2% from the prior period. Its average salary of $128,063 pays above the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 816
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $128,063
- Avg tenure
- 14.1 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Technical Writing and Editing
Federal agencies employ 816 people in the Technical Writing and Editing occupation (OPM code 1083), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -1.2% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Technical Writing and Editing pays $128,063 per year on average, moving up 0.7% from the prior period (a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement). Employees in this role stay an average of 14.1 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 10, the Information and Arts Group family, is where the federal government classifies Technical Writing and Editing alongside 18 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Technical Writing and Editing postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Information and Arts Group family.
Within the Information and Arts Group family, Technical Writing and Editing ranks #5 of 19 by headcount, accounting for 5.5% of the family's combined 14,755 employees. Its average salary ranks in the top half (78th percentile) of pay among Information and Arts Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Technical Writing and Editing pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$128,063
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+9.1%
Where Technical Writing and Editing ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $128,063 is higher than 74% of federal occupation series (398 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Technical Writing and Editing sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Technical Writing and Editing ranks higher than 74%.
Related Occupations in Information and Arts Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Affairs | 5,552 | $129,060 | 14.3 yrs |
| General Arts and Information | 2,759 | $126,733 | 14.5 yrs |
| Visual Information | 1,245 | $110,638 | 15.6 yrs |
| Language Specialist | 864 | $117,705 | 11.8 yrs |
| Writing and Editing | 760 | $138,055 | 15.2 yrs |
| Museum Specialist and Technician | 657 | $91,362 | 13.8 yrs |
| Audiovisual Production | 619 | $128,404 | 16 yrs |
| Museum Curator | 490 | $125,118 | 17.5 yrs |
| Interior Design | 355 | $105,579 | 11 yrs |
| Exhibits Specialist | 268 | $103,348 | 16.7 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Technical Writing and Editing outside the Information and Arts Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (816 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($128,063 here).
Key takeaways
- Technical Writing and Editing pays above the federal average by 9.1% ($128,063 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 74th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 816 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.2% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Technical Writing and Editing ranks #234 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Information and Arts Group family, Technical Writing and Editing ranks #5 of 19 by headcount, accounting for 5.5% of the family's combined 14,755 employees.
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.