Records analyzed
13 sub-agencies
Cross-joined with state geography and occupational mix
2026 data Public-data reference. official source
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Open-data reference.
Federal workforce data for DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. This agency represents 10.1% of the total federal civilian workforce. Source: OPM FedScope, March 2025.
What the Numbers Say About DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY employs 231,771 federal civilian workers, which accounts for 10.1% 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 up by 1.8%, a signal that hiring authorities and attrition at this agency are adding net positions during the current reporting window.
On compensation, the average salary of $103,913 sits 5.4% below the federal civilian average of $109,869. Average length of service at DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY is 11.8 years, reflecting a workforce that has built institutional knowledge across 13 sub-agencies. For applicants comparing federal employers, this pay premium (or gap) combined with tenure patterns helps explain why some agencies retain staff through full careers while others cycle more rapidly through early-career hires.
Geographic reach is another signal of scale: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY has employees in 51 states and territories, with the largest concentration in TEXAS (34,141 employees at $98,317 avg salary). Over the most recent 12 months of workforce-dynamics data, the agency recorded 0 accessions against 0 separations for a net change of 0 positions — useful context for job seekers evaluating whether DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY is expanding, contracting, or simply replacing departures. All figures draw directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes and update quarterly.
Workforce Overview
Employees
231,771
+1.8% from prior period
Average Salary
$103,913
+1.6%
Avg Length of Service
11.8 yrs
Sub-agencies
13
Data vintage
March 2025
OPM FedScope quarterly snapshot
Source authority
OPM FedScope
U.S. Office of Personnel Management — official federal HR data
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY pay vs. federal civilian average
Agency average $103,913 relative to federal average $109,869
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY workforce by GS grade tier
Estimated distribution of 231,771 employees across the General Schedule pay grades. Tier weights are modeled from the agency's average salary of $103,913, average length of service of 11.8 years, and sub-agency salary brackets. Color encodes pay-band tier (entry / mid / senior / executive).
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY — estimated GS-grade workforce mix. Source: OPM FedScope March 2025; pay tiers modeled from agency averages.
Salary Analysis
How DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Agency Average
$103,913
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
-5.4%
Salary Range by Sub-agency
Under $80K
0
$80K–$100K
92,034
$100K–$120K
100,423
$120K–$150K
35,234
Over $150K
4,080
Sub-agencies & Organizational Units
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY has 13 sub-agencies. The highest-paying unit averages $167,174.
| Sub-agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION | 66,839 | $110,800 | 13.9 yrs |
| TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION | 66,112 | $80,363 | 10 yrs |
| FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY | 25,922 | $98,820 | 7.2 yrs |
| CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES | 22,636 | $109,886 | 12.2 yrs |
| IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT | 20,692 | $124,469 | 14.9 yrs |
| U.S. COAST GUARD | 9,583 | $109,848 | 12 yrs |
| U.S. SECRET SERVICE | 8,148 | $121,338 | 12.2 yrs |
| DHS HEADQUARTERS | 5,608 | $143,747 | 13 yrs |
| CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY | 3,323 | $150,085 | 11 yrs |
| FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTERS | 1,365 | $113,083 | 17.2 yrs |
| OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL | 786 | $144,911 | 16.2 yrs |
| SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE | 534 | $167,174 | 14.2 yrs |
| DOMESTIC NUCLEAR DETECTION OFFICE | 223 | $166,495 | 12.9 yrs |
Geographic Presence
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY has employees in 51 states and territories. TEXAS has the most with 34,141 employees.
| State | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEXAS | 34,141 | $98,317 | 12.1 yrs |
| CALIFORNIA | 24,698 | $107,585 | 11.9 yrs |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 18,698 | $142,483 | 12.9 yrs |
| FLORIDA | 17,089 | $90,492 | 11.5 yrs |
| VIRGINIA | 16,974 | $126,207 | 12.2 yrs |
| NEW YORK | 12,706 | $102,910 | 11.8 yrs |
| ARIZONA | 9,701 | $95,669 | 11.6 yrs |
| MARYLAND | 8,303 | $123,123 | 12.8 yrs |
| GEORGIA | 7,432 | $97,428 | 12.2 yrs |
| ILLINOIS | 5,305 | $96,968 | 11.3 yrs |
| NEW JERSEY | 5,068 | $109,138 | 12.5 yrs |
| WASHINGTON | 5,011 | $102,010 | 11.4 yrs |
| MICHIGAN | 4,395 | $101,837 | 12.9 yrs |
| PENNSYLVANIA | 3,954 | $96,487 | 11 yrs |
| NORTH CAROLINA | 3,724 | $86,323 | 10.4 yrs |
| MASSACHUSETTS | 3,517 | $98,426 | 9.9 yrs |
| COLORADO | 3,222 | $96,203 | 9.1 yrs |
| MISSOURI | 2,875 | $92,911 | 11.1 yrs |
| VERMONT | 2,626 | $102,180 | 13 yrs |
| LOUISIANA | 2,307 | $89,407 | 10.8 yrs |
Showing top 20 of 51 states
Workforce Dynamics
Monthly hiring and separation trends. Net change over 12 months: 0.
| Month | Accessions | Separations | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | +1,435 | -1,921 | -486 |
| Feb 2025 | +1,716 | -1,302 | +414 |
| Jan 2025 | +2,856 | -1,532 | +1,324 |
| Dec 2024 | +2,565 | -1,799 | +766 |
| Nov 2024 | +1,928 | -1,024 | +904 |
| Oct 2024 | +1,986 | -1,085 | +901 |
| Sep 2024 | +2,387 | -1,082 | +1,305 |
| Aug 2024 | +2,055 | -1,339 | +716 |
| Jul 2024 | +2,186 | -1,135 | +1,051 |
| Jun 2024 | +3,069 | -1,343 | +1,726 |
| May 2024 | +2,004 | -1,719 | +285 |
| Apr 2024 | +1,709 | -1,002 | +707 |
Hiring & Separation Reasons
Why employees join and leave DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Accession Reasons
New Hire - Excepted Service Appointment
17,360
New Hire - Competitive Service Appointment
7,852
Transfer In - Individual Transfer
665
New Hire - Senior Executive Service (SES) Appt
19
Separation Reasons
Quit
6,409
Retirement - Voluntary
4,630
Other Separation
2,144
Transfer Out - Individual Transfer
1,652
Termination (Expired Appt/Other)
1,199
Employee Tenure Distribution
Average length of service is 11.8 years. Employees in sub-agencies grouped by average tenure.
Under 5 yrs
0
5–10 yrs
25,922
10–15 yrs
203,698
15–20 yrs
2,151
Over 20 yrs
0
Related Federal Data
Explore related salary, cost-of-living, and workforce data from other federal sources
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PlainWorker — Worker Protections
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PlainPension — Pension Data
Federal and private pension plan data. Explore retirement benefits for DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY employees.
PlainCost — Cost of Living
BEA Regional Price Parities for 387 metros. See how far your federal salary goes in different locations.
Federal Employment Guides
Learn more about working for the federal government
Similar-Sized Agencies
Federal agencies with a similar workforce size to DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
220,484 employees $101,403 avg
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
220,459 employees $108,539 avg
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
171,750 employees $99,379 avg
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
158,689 employees $100,589 avg
DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY
116,073 employees $95,743 avg
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
116,047 employees $117,386 avg
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work at DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY employs 231,771 federal workers as of March 2025. This represents 10.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average salary at DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY? ▾
The average salary at DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY is $103,913 per year, which is 5.4% below the federal average of $109,869.
What is the average length of service at DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY? ▾
The average length of service at DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY is 11.8 years. The federal average is 11.8 years.
How many sub-agencies does DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY have? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY has 13 sub-agencies or organizational units. The largest is CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION with 66,839 employees.
In how many states does DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY have employees? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY has employees in 51 states and territories. The largest concentration is in TEXAS with 34,141 employees.
Is DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY hiring or downsizing? ▾
Over the most recent 12 months of data, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY had 0 accessions and 0 separations, for a net change of 0 employees.
Where can I find salary data for occupations at DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY? ▾
While PlainGovJobs provides agency-level salary data, you can explore detailed salary data by occupation on WageDex at wagedex.com, which covers 831 occupations with Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
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 U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGovJobs Editorial
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.
