Technical Writing and Editing

What the Numbers Say About Technical Writing and Editing

Federal agencies employ 1,092 people in the Technical Writing and Editing occupation (OPM code 1083), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -2.8% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

Technical Writing and Editing pays $114,324 per year on average, 4.1% above the $109,869 federal civilian average, after moving up 2.9% from the prior period (a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce). Employees in this role stay an average of 12 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 15 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Technical Writing and Editing postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Within the Information and Arts Group family, Technical Writing and Editing ranks #5 of 16 by headcount, accounting for 5.5% of the family's combined 19,923 employees. Its average salary ranks in the top half (63rd percentile) of pay among Information and Arts Group occupations.