Records analyzed
1 sub-agencies
Cross-joined with state geography and occupational mix
OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce
Department of State
Headcount, average pay, length of service, sub-agencies, and hiring trends for Department of State, drawn directly from the OPM FedScope federal workforce dataset (March 2025).
The verdict
Department of State is a mid-sized federal agency: 14,163 employees (0.6% of the federal civilian workforce) across 28 states (including DC). At an average salary of $133,798 it pays above the federal average of $109,869, and headcount declined 2.9% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 14,163
- Share of workforce
- 0.6%
- Avg salary
- $133,798
- States present
- 28
Federal workforce data for Department of State. This agency represents 0.6% of the total federal civilian workforce. Source: OPM FedScope, March 2025.
What the Numbers Say About Department of State
Department of State employs 14,163 federal civilian workers, which accounts for 0.6% 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 -2.9%, 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 State is 13.6 years, spread across its 1 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 State has employees in 28 states (including DC), with the largest concentration in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (10,094 employees at $142,190 avg salary). Over the most recent 12 months of workforce-dynamics data, the agency recorded 2,288 accessions against 2,407 separations for a net change of -119 positions, useful context for job seekers evaluating whether Department of State 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
14,163
Mid-sized employer
-2.9% from prior period
Average Salary
$133,798
Above federal average
+1.1%
Avg Length of Service
13.6 yrs
Long-tenured workforce
Sub-agencies
1
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 State pay vs. federal civilian average
Agency average $133,798 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 State hires into rather than a modelled per-agency estimate.
National General Schedule grade distribution - 1,517,243 GS employees.
Salary Analysis
How Department of State pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Agency Average
$133,798
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
+21.8%
Where Department of State ranks on pay
Ranked by agency (not weighted by headcount), its average salary of $133,798 is higher than 35% of the 115 federal agencies (40 pay less on average). Smaller specialized agencies often post higher per-employee averages than large ones like Department of State, 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 State sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 115 federal agencies; Department of State ranks higher than 35%.
Salary Range by Sub-agency
Under $80K
0
$80K–$100K
0
$100K–$120K
0
$120K–$150K
14,163
Over $150K
0
Sub-agencies & Organizational Units
Department of State has 1 sub-agencies. The highest-paying unit averages $133,798.
| Sub-agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of State | 14,163 | $133,798 | 13.6 yrs |
Geographic Presence
Department of State has employees in 28 states (including DC). DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA has the most with 10,094 employees.
| State | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 10,094 | $142,190 | 13.8 yrs |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | 663 | $105,197 | 12.3 yrs |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE | 482 | $101,005 | 12.6 yrs |
| VIRGINIA | 453 | $150,641 | 14.5 yrs |
| CALIFORNIA | 270 | $115,997 | 11.6 yrs |
| TEXAS | 244 | $111,903 | 15.5 yrs |
| NEW YORK | 222 | $115,453 | 12.9 yrs |
| FLORIDA | 201 | $121,867 | 15.9 yrs |
| ARIZONA | 178 | $86,146 | 8.3 yrs |
| LOUISIANA | 151 | $83,038 | 12.3 yrs |
| WASHINGTON | 120 | $107,981 | 12.7 yrs |
| PENNSYLVANIA | 100 | $101,054 | 11.7 yrs |
| ILLINOIS | 91 | $103,068 | 11.9 yrs |
| COLORADO | 72 | $126,960 | 15.2 yrs |
| MASSACHUSETTS | 69 | $108,798 | 10.1 yrs |
| GEORGIA | 68 | $104,065 | 12.9 yrs |
| MICHIGAN | 53 | $106,981 | 11.5 yrs |
| MINNESOTA | 45 | $97,554 | 8.5 yrs |
| CONNECTICUT | 42 | $107,310 | 10.8 yrs |
| NORTH CAROLINA | 33 | $128,619 | 15.8 yrs |
Showing top 20 of 28 states
Workforce Dynamics
Monthly hiring and separation trends. Net change over 12 months: -119.
| Month | Accessions | Separations | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | +39 | -302 | -263 |
| Feb 2025 | +102 | -105 | -3 |
| Jan 2025 | +377 | -335 | +42 |
| Dec 2024 | +128 | -163 | -35 |
| Nov 2024 | +118 | -298 | -180 |
| Oct 2024 | +143 | -79 | +64 |
| Sep 2024 | +228 | -122 | +106 |
| Aug 2024 | +236 | -361 | -125 |
| Jul 2024 | +133 | -252 | -119 |
| Jun 2024 | +393 | -116 | +277 |
| May 2024 | +233 | -99 | +134 |
| Apr 2024 | +158 | -175 | -17 |
Hiring & Separation Reasons
Why employees join and leave Department of State
Accession Reasons
New Hire - Excepted Service Appointment
1,322
New Hire - Competitive Service Appointment
830
Transfer In - Individual Transfer
136
Separation Reasons
Termination (Expired Appt/Other)
1,145
Quit
584
Retirement - Voluntary
331
Transfer Out - Individual Transfer
291
Other Separation
44
Federal Employment Guides
Learn more about working for the federal government
Similar-Sized Agencies
Federal agencies with a similar workforce size to Department of State
Department of Labor
14,107 employees $125,279 avg
General Services Administration
13,182 employees $131,571 avg
Environmental Protection Agency
16,557 employees $134,437 avg
Department of Energy
17,472 employees $145,574 avg
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
17,973 employees $152,463 avg
Department of Housing and Urban Development
8,671 employees $139,117 avg
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work at Department of State? ▾
Department of State employs 14,163 federal workers as of March 2025. This represents 0.6% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average salary at Department of State? ▾
The average salary at Department of State is $133,798 per year, which is 21.8% above the federal average of $109,869.
What is the average length of service at Department of State? ▾
The average length of service at Department of State is 13.6 years. The federal average is 11.8 years.
How many sub-agencies does Department of State have? ▾
Department of State has 1 sub-agencies or organizational units. The largest is Department of State with 14,163 employees.
In how many states does Department of State have employees? ▾
Department of State has employees in 28 states (including DC). The largest concentration is in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA with 10,094 employees.
Is Department of State hiring or downsizing? ▾
Over the most recent 12 months of data, Department of State had 2,288 accessions and 2,407 separations, for a net change of -119 employees.
Where can I find salary data for occupations at Department of State? ▾
PlainGovJobs reports the average salary for Department of State 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.