Records analyzed
57 sub-agencies
Cross-joined with state geography and occupational mix
OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce
Department of the Air Force
Headcount, average pay, length of service, sub-agencies, and hiring trends for Department of the Air Force, drawn directly from the OPM FedScope federal workforce dataset (March 2025).
The verdict
Department of the Air Force is one of the largest federal employers: 171,750 employees (7.5% of the federal civilian workforce) across 51 states (including DC). At an average salary of $99,379 it pays below the federal average of $109,869, and headcount grew 0.1% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 171,750
- Share of workforce
- 7.5%
- Avg salary
- $99,379
- States present
- 51
Federal workforce data for Department of the Air Force. This agency represents 7.5% of the total federal civilian workforce. Source: OPM FedScope, March 2025.
What the Numbers Say About Department of the Air Force
Department of the Air Force employs 171,750 federal civilian workers, which accounts for 7.5% 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 0.1%, a signal that hiring authorities and attrition at this agency are adding net positions during the current reporting window.
Average length of service at Department of the Air Force is 10.9 years, spread across its 57 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 the Air Force has employees in 51 states (including DC), with the largest concentration in OKLAHOMA (17,984 employees at $86,085 avg salary). Over the most recent 12 months of workforce-dynamics data, the agency recorded 19,971 accessions against 16,079 separations for a net change of +3,892 positions, useful context for job seekers evaluating whether Department of the Air Force 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
171,750
Very large employer
+0.1% from prior period
Average Salary
$99,379
Below federal average
+2.6%
Avg Length of Service
10.9 yrs
Average tenure
Sub-agencies
57
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 the Air Force pay vs. federal civilian average
Agency average $99,379 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 the Air Force hires into rather than a modelled per-agency estimate.
National General Schedule grade distribution - 1,517,243 GS employees.
Salary Analysis
How Department of the Air Force pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Workforce by pay band
How Department of the Air Force's 171,750 employees split across salary ranges (sub-agency averages).
- Under $80k: 4,745 (3%)
- $80k–$100k: 74,032 (43%)
- $100k–$120k: 76,488 (45%)
- $120k–$150k: 13,287 (8%)
- $150k+: 3,198 (2%)
Agency Average
$99,379
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
-9.5%
Where Department of the Air Force ranks on pay
Ranked by agency (not weighted by headcount), its average salary of $99,379 is higher than 9% of the 115 federal agencies (10 pay less on average). Smaller specialized agencies often post higher per-employee averages than large ones like Department of the Air Force, 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 the Air Force sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 115 federal agencies; Department of the Air Force ranks higher than 9%.
Salary Range by Sub-agency
Under $80K
4,745
$80K–$100K
74,032
$100K–$120K
76,488
$120K–$150K
13,287
Over $150K
3,198
Sub-agencies & Organizational Units
Department of the Air Force has 57 sub-agencies. The highest-paying unit averages $175,353.
| Sub-agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force Materiel Command | 71,560 | $101,790 | 11.7 yrs |
| Air Education and Training Command | 15,054 | $83,852 | 10.7 yrs |
| Air National Guard Units | 14,238 | $88,680 | 8.8 yrs |
| Air Combat Command | 12,307 | $98,668 | 10.4 yrs |
| Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command | 9,848 | $90,995 | 10.6 yrs |
| Air Mobility Command | 7,593 | $87,244 | 10.8 yrs |
| Air Force Global Strike Command | 4,097 | $86,492 | 10.2 yrs |
| Pacific Air Forces | 3,742 | $87,247 | 9.1 yrs |
| Air Force Civilian Career Training | 3,056 | $78,740 | 4.4 yrs |
| Space Systems Command | 2,855 | $130,237 | 12 yrs |
| Hq Usaf and Support Elements | 2,510 | $153,063 | 13.4 yrs |
| United States Space Force | 2,421 | $84,949 | 11 yrs |
| U.S. Air Forces, Europe | 1,689 | $79,180 | 8.7 yrs |
| Air Force Personnel Center | 1,625 | $96,859 | 12.1 yrs |
| Air Force Special Operations Command | 1,607 | $94,863 | 11.2 yrs |
| United States Space Force Forces | 1,556 | $119,105 | 11.7 yrs |
| Air Force Elements, U.S. Strategic Command | 1,399 | $128,897 | 11.8 yrs |
| U.S. Air Force Academy | 1,352 | $96,979 | 9.7 yrs |
| Air Force District of Washington | 1,321 | $100,839 | 11.1 yrs |
| National Air and Space Intelligence Center | 1,291 | $130,836 | 11.7 yrs |
| Air Force Office of Special Investigations | 1,170 | $129,089 | 9.8 yrs |
| Air Force Elements, U.S. Special Operations Command | 1,098 | $128,227 | 11.8 yrs |
| Air Force Elements, U.S. Transportation Command | 1,018 | $119,230 | 11.1 yrs |
| Non-Dod and Other Support | 965 | $137,265 | 11.3 yrs |
| Air National Guard Support Center | 711 | $130,470 | 13.1 yrs |
| U.S. Northern Command | 687 | $122,553 | 9.6 yrs |
| Afelm US Space Command | 649 | $125,351 | 7.5 yrs |
| Air Force Audit Agency | 489 | $120,558 | 16.3 yrs |
| Air Force Technical Applications Center | 485 | $133,727 | 11.6 yrs |
| Air Force Elements, U.S. Central Command | 362 | $123,173 | 9.7 yrs |
| National Space Intelligence Center | 304 | $125,633 | 8.4 yrs |
| Hq US Space Force | 265 | $160,541 | 10.6 yrs |
| Space Training and Readiness Command | 252 | $121,379 | 10.4 yrs |
| Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center | 237 | $119,190 | 11.3 yrs |
| Air Force Legal Operations Agency | 178 | $133,313 | 11.5 yrs |
| Air Force Elements | 176 | $119,169 | 9.1 yrs |
| Air Force Medical Command | 170 | $112,555 | 10.5 yrs |
| Air Force Manpower Analysis Agency | 159 | $107,948 | 12.4 yrs |
| Space Development Agency | 130 | $175,353 | 8.1 yrs |
| Defense Cyber Crime Center | 113 | $157,175 | 10.4 yrs |
| Air Forces Southern | 110 | $110,000 | 10.3 yrs |
| U.S. Special Operations Command (ang) | 102 | $81,212 | 8.2 yrs |
| Air Force Elements Norad | 100 | $116,807 | 8.8 yrs |
| Air Force Review Boards Agency | 86 | $147,763 | 12.4 yrs |
| Air Force Cost Analysis Agency | 85 | $157,867 | 13 yrs |
| Air Force Safety Center | 84 | $138,115 | 13.6 yrs |
| United States Space Force Components | 63 | $142,498 | 10.1 yrs |
| Hq Af Flight Standards Agency | 59 | $125,076 | 16.1 yrs |
| Afelm Jcs | 55 | $156,602 | 7.1 yrs |
| Air Force Public Affairs Agency | 47 | $109,976 | 11.5 yrs |
| Space Force Service Wide Support Activities | 47 | $133,036 | 11.4 yrs |
| Air Force Historical Research Agency | 46 | $90,561 | 13.5 yrs |
| Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations | 34 | $105,468 | 13.9 yrs |
| Air Force Inspection Agency (fo) | 31 | $131,983 | 11.6 yrs |
| Air Force Operations Group | 24 | $156,505 | 9.5 yrs |
| Air Force Agency for Modeling/simulation | 22 | $130,381 | 14.1 yrs |
| Air Force Program Executive Office | 16 | $166,893 | 17.2 yrs |
Geographic Presence
Department of the Air Force has employees in 51 states (including DC). OKLAHOMA has the most with 17,984 employees.
| State | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| OKLAHOMA | 17,984 | $86,085 | 11.5 yrs |
| TEXAS | 16,988 | $94,734 | 11.1 yrs |
| OHIO | 16,160 | $118,213 | 11.2 yrs |
| GEORGIA | 14,733 | $89,763 | 12.3 yrs |
| UTAH | 12,714 | $94,203 | 11.5 yrs |
| FLORIDA | 12,696 | $103,375 | 11.1 yrs |
| CALIFORNIA | 9,481 | $109,382 | 10.4 yrs |
| VIRGINIA | 7,063 | $134,381 | 11.6 yrs |
| COLORADO | 6,393 | $106,631 | 9.9 yrs |
| NEW MEXICO | 3,599 | $102,817 | 10.3 yrs |
| ILLINOIS | 3,498 | $104,957 | 10.9 yrs |
| MASSACHUSETTS | 3,381 | $116,432 | 9.9 yrs |
| ARIZONA | 2,777 | $84,953 | 10.4 yrs |
| MARYLAND | 2,544 | $122,775 | 10.9 yrs |
| NEBRASKA | 2,423 | $100,331 | 10.7 yrs |
| ALASKA | 2,374 | $92,965 | 9.3 yrs |
| ALABAMA | 2,225 | $97,422 | 11.2 yrs |
| MISSISSIPPI | 2,119 | $82,473 | 10.2 yrs |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | 1,920 | $80,910 | 10.6 yrs |
| NEW YORK | 1,788 | $99,637 | 11.4 yrs |
Showing top 20 of 51 states
Workforce Dynamics
Monthly hiring and separation trends. Net change over 12 months: +3,892.
| Month | Accessions | Separations | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | +0 | -1,103 | -1,103 |
| Feb 2025 | +1,129 | -757 | +372 |
| Jan 2025 | +1,546 | -1,401 | +145 |
| Dec 2024 | +1,299 | -1,632 | -333 |
| Nov 2024 | +1,606 | -1,007 | +599 |
| Oct 2024 | +1,925 | -1,148 | +777 |
| Sep 2024 | +1,705 | -1,838 | -133 |
| Aug 2024 | +1,761 | -2,012 | -251 |
| Jul 2024 | +2,360 | -1,437 | +923 |
| Jun 2024 | +2,629 | -1,354 | +1,275 |
| May 2024 | +2,451 | -1,153 | +1,298 |
| Apr 2024 | +1,560 | -1,237 | +323 |
Hiring & Separation Reasons
Why employees join and leave Department of the Air Force
Accession Reasons
New Hire - Competitive Service Appointment
13,825
New Hire - Excepted Service Appointment
5,920
Transfer In - Individual Transfer
226
Separation Reasons
Quit
6,754
Retirement - Voluntary
3,562
Termination (Expired Appt/Other)
3,066
Transfer Out - Individual Transfer
1,944
Other Separation
654
Employee Tenure Distribution
Average length of service is 10.9 years. Employees in sub-agencies grouped by average tenure.
Under 5 yrs
3,056
5–10 yrs
24,780
10–15 yrs
143,350
15–20 yrs
564
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 the Air Force
Department of Defense
158,689 employees $100,589 avg
Department of the Navy
220,459 employees $108,539 avg
Department of the Army
220,484 employees $101,403 avg
Department of Treasury
116,073 employees $95,743 avg
Department of Justice
116,047 employees $117,386 avg
Department of Homeland Security
231,771 employees $103,913 avg
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work at Department of the Air Force? ▾
Department of the Air Force employs 171,750 federal workers as of March 2025. This represents 7.5% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average salary at Department of the Air Force? ▾
The average salary at Department of the Air Force is $99,379 per year, which is 9.5% below the federal average of $109,869.
What is the average length of service at Department of the Air Force? ▾
The average length of service at Department of the Air Force is 10.9 years. The federal average is 11.8 years.
How many sub-agencies does Department of the Air Force have? ▾
Department of the Air Force has 57 sub-agencies or organizational units. The largest is Air Force Materiel Command with 71,560 employees.
In how many states does Department of the Air Force have employees? ▾
Department of the Air Force has employees in 51 states (including DC). The largest concentration is in OKLAHOMA with 17,984 employees.
Is Department of the Air Force hiring or downsizing? ▾
Over the most recent 12 months of data, Department of the Air Force had 19,971 accessions and 16,079 separations, for a net change of +3,892 employees.
Where can I find salary data for occupations at Department of the Air Force? ▾
PlainGovJobs reports the average salary for Department of the Air Force 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.