Technical Writing and Editing federal salary series 1083
Full-time federal employees in the Technical Writing and Editing series earned a median of $129,904 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 18% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $109,243 and $146,143.
What shapes technical writing and editing pay
The most common grade with published pay is GS-12 (231 employees, median $112,657). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Health and Human Services (55 employees). 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 63% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).
Technical Writing and Editing 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 |
|---|---|---|
| GS-11 | 116 | $88,296 |
| GS-12 | 231 | $112,657 |
| GS-13 | 124 | $137,318 |
| GS-14 | 31 | $165,503 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Technical Writing and Editing pay by agency
| Agency | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Human Services | 55 | $135,069 |
| Department of Transportation | 45 | $126,857 |
| National Archives and Records Administration | 36 | $129,816 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Technical Writing and Editing pay by state
The 2 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.
| State | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 94 | $133,964 |
| Maryland | 39 | $146,143 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Compare technical writing and editing pay across all states and agencies →
Change since September 2025
The median moved +4.1% from $124,776 in September 2025 to $129,904 in September 2026. Headcount went from 995 to 815 (−18.1%). 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.
Related occupations in Information and Arts Group
- Public Affairs (1035)$128,410
- General Arts and Information (1001)$130,786
- Visual Information (1084)$111,087
- Language Specialist (1040)$119,485
- Writing and Editing (1082)$138,024
- Audiovisual Production (1071)$129,904
- Museum Specialist and Technician (1016)$91,145
- Museum Curator (1015)$119,485