Records analyzed
13 sub-agencies
Cross-joined with state geography and occupational mix
OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce
Department of Commerce
Headcount, average pay, length of service, sub-agencies, and hiring trends for Department of Commerce, drawn directly from the OPM FedScope federal workforce dataset (March 2025).
The verdict
Department of Commerce is a major federal employer: 47,410 employees (2.1% of the federal civilian workforce) across 51 states (including DC). At an average salary of $127,933 it pays above the federal average of $109,869, and headcount declined 2.1% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 47,410
- Share of workforce
- 2.1%
- Avg salary
- $127,933
- States present
- 51
Federal workforce data for Department of Commerce. This agency represents 2.1% of the total federal civilian workforce. Source: OPM FedScope, March 2025.
What the Numbers Say About Department of Commerce
Department of Commerce employs 47,410 federal civilian workers, which accounts for 2.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 reported in the OPM FedScope March 2025 release. Compared to the prior period, headcount moved down by -2.1%, a signal that hiring authorities and attrition at this agency are shedding net positions during the current reporting window.
Average length of service at Department of Commerce is 13.5 years, spread across its 13 sub-agencies, a retention signal: longer-tenured workforces tend to hold deeper institutional knowledge, while shorter tenure points to faster cycling through early-career hires. For applicants weighing federal employers, that tenure pattern is as telling as headline pay (how this agency's salary compares to the federal average is broken down in Salary Analysis below).
Geographic reach is another signal of scale: Department of Commerce has employees in 51 states (including DC), with the largest concentration in MARYLAND (12,988 employees at $145,285 avg salary). Over the most recent 12 months of workforce-dynamics data, the agency recorded 5,654 accessions against 6,045 separations for a net change of -391 positions, useful context for job seekers evaluating whether Department of Commerce is expanding, contracting, or simply replacing departures. All figures draw directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes and update semi-annually (March and September).
Workforce Overview
Employees
47,410
Large employer
-2.1% from prior period
Average Salary
$127,933
Above federal average
+3.3%
Avg Length of Service
13.5 yrs
Average tenure
Sub-agencies
13
Data vintage
March 2025
OPM FedScope semi-annual snapshot
Source authority
OPM FedScope
U.S. Office of Personnel Management, official federal HR data
Department of Commerce pay vs. federal civilian average
Agency average $127,933 relative to federal average $109,869
Federal General Schedule pay-grade distribution
The federal civilian workforce concentrates in the GS-11 to GS-13 grades. These are the actual federal-wide General Schedule employee counts from OPM FedScope, per-agency grade breakdowns are not published in the public extract, so this shows the national distribution Department of Commerce hires into rather than a modelled per-agency estimate.
National General Schedule grade distribution - 1,517,243 GS employees.
Salary Analysis
How Department of Commerce pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Workforce by pay band
How Department of Commerce's 47,410 employees split across salary ranges (sub-agency averages).
- $80k–$100k: 12,300 (26%)
- $120k–$150k: 18,347 (39%)
- $150k+: 16,763 (35%)
Agency Average
$127,933
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
+16.4%
Where Department of Commerce ranks on pay
Ranked by agency (not weighted by headcount), its average salary of $127,933 is higher than 31% of the 115 federal agencies (36 pay less on average). Smaller specialized agencies often post higher per-employee averages than large ones like Department of Commerce, so this agency-count rank can differ from a comparison to the government-wide, employee-weighted average shown above. The highlighted bar marks where Department of Commerce sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 115 federal agencies; Department of Commerce ranks higher than 31%.
Salary Range by Sub-agency
Under $80K
0
$80K–$100K
12,300
$100K–$120K
0
$120K–$150K
18,347
Over $150K
16,763
Sub-agencies & Organizational Units
Department of Commerce has 13 sub-agencies. The highest-paying unit averages $162,906.
| Sub-agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patent and Trademark Office | 14,369 | $153,854 | 14.8 yrs |
| U.S. Census Bureau | 12,300 | $80,679 | 9.8 yrs |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | 12,267 | $130,666 | 15.2 yrs |
| National Institute of Standards and Technology | 3,874 | $146,883 | 13.8 yrs |
| International Trade Administration | 1,438 | $144,240 | 15.1 yrs |
| Office of the Secretary | 1,036 | $151,673 | 13.9 yrs |
| National Telecommunications and Information Administration | 645 | $162,906 | 11.8 yrs |
| Bureau of Industry and Security | 509 | $149,096 | 14 yrs |
| Bureau of Economic Analysis | 446 | $151,803 | 16.2 yrs |
| Economic Development Administration | 225 | $141,525 | 11.4 yrs |
| Office of the Inspector General | 217 | $150,864 | 14.4 yrs |
| Minority Business Development Agency | 50 | $150,582 | 14.2 yrs |
| National Technical Information Service | 34 | $146,237 | 22.1 yrs |
Geographic Presence
Department of Commerce has employees in 51 states (including DC). MARYLAND has the most with 12,988 employees.
| State | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARYLAND | 12,988 | $145,285 | 16.2 yrs |
| VIRGINIA | 6,948 | $159,593 | 16.9 yrs |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 3,078 | $149,053 | 13.2 yrs |
| CALIFORNIA | 2,088 | $109,652 | 9.8 yrs |
| FLORIDA | 1,862 | $114,578 | 12.3 yrs |
| COLORADO | 1,634 | $135,693 | 11.7 yrs |
| TEXAS | 1,582 | $105,845 | 10.1 yrs |
| WASHINGTON | 1,214 | $125,500 | 13.7 yrs |
| NEW YORK | 1,009 | $101,154 | 9.2 yrs |
| INDIANA | 985 | $68,799 | 14.2 yrs |
| NORTH CAROLINA | 863 | $113,953 | 11.5 yrs |
| PENNSYLVANIA | 796 | $112,737 | 10.7 yrs |
| MASSACHUSETTS | 784 | $118,342 | 11.7 yrs |
| MICHIGAN | 647 | $110,023 | 9.7 yrs |
| ILLINOIS | 618 | $95,178 | 7.9 yrs |
| GEORGIA | 610 | $96,708 | 9.6 yrs |
| ALASKA | 527 | $117,031 | 11.9 yrs |
| NEW JERSEY | 518 | $115,981 | 9.6 yrs |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | 500 | $101,483 | 11.5 yrs |
| ARIZONA | 491 | $77,367 | 10.1 yrs |
Showing top 20 of 51 states
Workforce Dynamics
Monthly hiring and separation trends. Net change over 12 months: -391.
| Month | Accessions | Separations | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | +0 | -638 | -638 |
| Feb 2025 | +0 | -1,221 | -1,221 |
| Jan 2025 | +633 | -697 | -64 |
| Dec 2024 | +499 | -526 | -27 |
| Nov 2024 | +421 | -340 | +81 |
| Oct 2024 | +576 | -306 | +270 |
| Sep 2024 | +481 | -326 | +155 |
| Aug 2024 | +636 | -381 | +255 |
| Jul 2024 | +669 | -442 | +227 |
| Jun 2024 | +578 | -469 | +109 |
| May 2024 | +666 | -368 | +298 |
| Apr 2024 | +495 | -331 | +164 |
Hiring & Separation Reasons
Why employees join and leave Department of Commerce
Accession Reasons
New Hire - Excepted Service Appointment
2,836
New Hire - Competitive Service Appointment
2,606
Transfer In - Individual Transfer
212
Separation Reasons
Quit
2,333
Termination (Expired Appt/Other)
1,479
Retirement - Voluntary
1,117
Other Separation
913
Transfer Out - Individual Transfer
203
Employee Tenure Distribution
Average length of service is 13.5 years. Employees in sub-agencies grouped by average tenure.
Under 5 yrs
0
5–10 yrs
12,300
10–15 yrs
20,925
15–20 yrs
14,151
Over 20 yrs
34
Federal Employment Guides
Learn more about working for the federal government
Similar-Sized Agencies
Federal agencies with a similar workforce size to Department of Commerce
Social Security Administration
56,263 employees $101,587 avg
Department of Transportation
57,204 employees $141,857 avg
Department of Interior
63,752 employees $95,844 avg
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
17,973 employees $152,463 avg
Department of Energy
17,472 employees $145,574 avg
Environmental Protection Agency
16,557 employees $134,437 avg
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work at Department of Commerce? ▾
Department of Commerce employs 47,410 federal workers as of March 2025. This represents 2.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average salary at Department of Commerce? ▾
The average salary at Department of Commerce is $127,933 per year, which is 16.4% above the federal average of $109,869.
What is the average length of service at Department of Commerce? ▾
The average length of service at Department of Commerce is 13.5 years. The federal average is 11.8 years.
How many sub-agencies does Department of Commerce have? ▾
Department of Commerce has 13 sub-agencies or organizational units. The largest is Patent and Trademark Office with 14,369 employees.
In how many states does Department of Commerce have employees? ▾
Department of Commerce has employees in 51 states (including DC). The largest concentration is in MARYLAND with 12,988 employees.
Is Department of Commerce hiring or downsizing? ▾
Over the most recent 12 months of data, Department of Commerce had 5,654 accessions and 6,045 separations, for a net change of -391 employees.
Where can I find salary data for occupations at Department of Commerce? ▾
PlainGovJobs reports the average salary for Department of Commerce from the OPM FedScope dataset. For pay broken down by individual occupation, browse this site's occupation directory, each occupation page lists its federal average salary and workforce size from the same OPM source.
Data Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) FedScope Employment Cubes, March 2025. Federal civilian non-seasonal full-time and part-time employees. Data does not include military personnel, postal workers, or intelligence agency staff. Last updated: 2026-03-10.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGovJobs
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from OPM FedScope. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: Federal workforce figures from OPM FedScope as of the March 2025 snapshot, with current openings from USAJOBS; compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
PlainGovJobs is rendered directly from OPM FedScope federal-workforce data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on OPM FedScope agency-level employment records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.