Records analyzed
16 sub-agencies
Cross-joined with state geography and occupational mix
OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce
Department of Health and Human Services
Headcount, average pay, length of service, sub-agencies, and hiring trends for Department of Health and Human Services, drawn directly from the OPM FedScope federal workforce dataset (March 2025).
The verdict
Department of Health and Human Services is a major federal employer: 92,269 employees (4.0% of the federal civilian workforce) across 51 states (including DC). At an average salary of $134,256 it pays above the federal average of $109,869, and headcount declined 0.4% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 92,269
- Share of workforce
- 4.0%
- Avg salary
- $134,256
- States present
- 51
Federal workforce data for Department of Health and Human Services. This agency represents 4.0% of the total federal civilian workforce. Source: OPM FedScope, March 2025.
What the Numbers Say About Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Health and Human Services employs 92,269 federal civilian workers, which accounts for 4.0% 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 -0.4%, 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 Health and Human Services is 12.6 years, spread across its 16 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 Health and Human Services has employees in 51 states (including DC), with the largest concentration in MARYLAND (40,882 employees at $151,300 avg salary). Over the most recent 12 months of workforce-dynamics data, the agency recorded 7,405 accessions against 5,820 separations for a net change of +1,585 positions, useful context for job seekers evaluating whether Department of Health and Human Services 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
92,269
Large employer
-0.4% from prior period
Average Salary
$134,256
Above federal average
+2.4%
Avg Length of Service
12.6 yrs
Average tenure
Sub-agencies
16
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 Health and Human Services pay vs. federal civilian average
Agency average $134,256 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 Health and Human Services hires into rather than a modelled per-agency estimate.
National General Schedule grade distribution - 1,517,243 GS employees.
Salary Analysis
How Department of Health and Human Services pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Workforce by pay band
How Department of Health and Human Services's 92,269 employees split across salary ranges (sub-agency averages).
- $80k–$100k: 13,860 (15%)
- $100k–$120k: 5,621 (6%)
- $120k–$150k: 48,751 (53%)
- $150k+: 24,037 (26%)
Agency Average
$134,256
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
+22.2%
Where Department of Health and Human Services ranks on pay
Ranked by agency (not weighted by headcount), its average salary of $134,256 is higher than 36% of the 115 federal agencies (41 pay less on average). Smaller specialized agencies often post higher per-employee averages than large ones like Department of Health and Human Services, 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 Health and Human Services sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 115 federal agencies; Department of Health and Human Services ranks higher than 36%.
Salary Range by Sub-agency
Under $80K
0
$80K–$100K
13,860
$100K–$120K
5,621
$120K–$150K
48,751
Over $150K
24,037
Sub-agencies & Organizational Units
Department of Health and Human Services has 16 sub-agencies. The highest-paying unit averages $158,988.
| Sub-agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Institutes of Health | 21,299 | $144,026 | 13 yrs |
| Food and Drug Administration | 20,721 | $153,569 | 13.1 yrs |
| Indian Health Service | 13,860 | $94,496 | 11.7 yrs |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | 12,581 | $131,772 | 12.6 yrs |
| Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | 6,620 | $143,224 | 13.7 yrs |
| Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response | 4,989 | $101,637 | 9.9 yrs |
| Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services | 3,036 | $152,106 | 13.6 yrs |
| Health Resources and Services Administration | 2,679 | $141,309 | 12.2 yrs |
| Administration for Children and Families | 2,296 | $135,154 | 10.4 yrs |
| Office of Inspector General | 1,535 | $140,078 | 16.8 yrs |
| Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration | 929 | $133,666 | 10.1 yrs |
| Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals | 632 | $118,945 | 13.6 yrs |
| Program Support Center | 387 | $125,974 | 15.4 yrs |
| Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality | 280 | $158,988 | 16.3 yrs |
| Administration for Community Living | 260 | $127,821 | 10.4 yrs |
| Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry | 165 | $143,159 | 16.3 yrs |
Geographic Presence
Department of Health and Human Services has employees in 51 states (including DC). MARYLAND has the most with 40,882 employees.
| State | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARYLAND | 40,882 | $151,300 | 13.2 yrs |
| GEORGIA | 10,263 | $132,861 | 13 yrs |
| ARIZONA | 4,482 | $96,065 | 12.2 yrs |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 4,344 | $151,821 | 12.1 yrs |
| NEW MEXICO | 3,275 | $95,405 | 12.9 yrs |
| CALIFORNIA | 2,333 | $127,974 | 12 yrs |
| VIRGINIA | 1,918 | $141,078 | 11.2 yrs |
| OKLAHOMA | 1,756 | $91,547 | 10.2 yrs |
| TEXAS | 1,706 | $122,727 | 12.3 yrs |
| FLORIDA | 1,634 | $115,177 | 11.9 yrs |
| NORTH CAROLINA | 1,429 | $125,915 | 13.3 yrs |
| SOUTH DAKOTA | 1,360 | $88,852 | 11.1 yrs |
| NEW YORK | 1,345 | $126,936 | 11.6 yrs |
| PENNSYLVANIA | 1,315 | $128,292 | 13.1 yrs |
| MONTANA | 1,155 | $95,535 | 11.1 yrs |
| WASHINGTON | 960 | $118,562 | 11.9 yrs |
| COLORADO | 956 | $128,240 | 11.4 yrs |
| OHIO | 913 | $116,478 | 13.2 yrs |
| ILLINOIS | 841 | $131,169 | 12.4 yrs |
| MINNESOTA | 818 | $101,957 | 9.7 yrs |
Showing top 20 of 51 states
Workforce Dynamics
Monthly hiring and separation trends. Net change over 12 months: +1,585.
| Month | Accessions | Separations | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | +74 | -877 | -803 |
| Feb 2025 | +74 | -444 | -370 |
| Jan 2025 | +874 | -735 | +139 |
| Dec 2024 | +1,085 | -726 | +359 |
| Nov 2024 | +468 | -262 | +206 |
| Oct 2024 | +602 | -309 | +293 |
| Sep 2024 | +718 | -430 | +288 |
| Aug 2024 | +756 | -439 | +317 |
| Jul 2024 | +777 | -387 | +390 |
| Jun 2024 | +988 | -542 | +446 |
| May 2024 | +514 | -382 | +132 |
| Apr 2024 | +475 | -287 | +188 |
Hiring & Separation Reasons
Why employees join and leave Department of Health and Human Services
Accession Reasons
New Hire - Competitive Service Appointment
3,596
New Hire - Excepted Service Appointment
3,508
Transfer In - Individual Transfer
289
New Hire - Senior Executive Service (SES) Appt
12
Separation Reasons
Quit
2,463
Retirement - Voluntary
1,929
Termination (Expired Appt/Other)
906
Transfer Out - Individual Transfer
281
Other Separation
172
Employee Tenure Distribution
Average length of service is 12.6 years. Employees in sub-agencies grouped by average tenure.
Under 5 yrs
0
5–10 yrs
4,989
10–15 yrs
84,913
15–20 yrs
2,367
Over 20 yrs
0
Federal Employment Guides
Learn more about working for the federal government
Similar-Sized Agencies
Federal agencies with a similar workforce size to Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Agriculture
90,840 employees $88,591 avg
Department of Justice
116,047 employees $117,386 avg
Department of Treasury
116,073 employees $95,743 avg
Department of Interior
63,752 employees $95,844 avg
Department of Transportation
57,204 employees $141,857 avg
Social Security Administration
56,263 employees $101,587 avg
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work at Department of Health and Human Services? ▾
Department of Health and Human Services employs 92,269 federal workers as of March 2025. This represents 4.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average salary at Department of Health and Human Services? ▾
The average salary at Department of Health and Human Services is $134,256 per year, which is 22.2% above the federal average of $109,869.
What is the average length of service at Department of Health and Human Services? ▾
The average length of service at Department of Health and Human Services is 12.6 years. The federal average is 11.8 years.
How many sub-agencies does Department of Health and Human Services have? ▾
Department of Health and Human Services has 16 sub-agencies or organizational units. The largest is National Institutes of Health with 21,299 employees.
In how many states does Department of Health and Human Services have employees? ▾
Department of Health and Human Services has employees in 51 states (including DC). The largest concentration is in MARYLAND with 40,882 employees.
Is Department of Health and Human Services hiring or downsizing? ▾
Over the most recent 12 months of data, Department of Health and Human Services had 7,405 accessions and 5,820 separations, for a net change of +1,585 employees.
Where can I find salary data for occupations at Department of Health and Human Services? ▾
PlainGovJobs reports the average salary for Department of Health and Human Services 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.