Records analyzed
20 sub-agencies
Cross-joined with state geography and occupational mix
OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce
Department of the Navy
Headcount, average pay, length of service, sub-agencies, and hiring trends for Department of the Navy, drawn directly from the OPM FedScope federal workforce dataset (March 2025).
The verdict
Department of the Navy is one of the largest federal employers: 220,459 employees (9.6% of the federal civilian workforce) across 39 states (including DC). At an average salary of $108,539 it pays near the federal average of $109,869, and headcount declined 0.1% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 220,459
- Share of workforce
- 9.6%
- Avg salary
- $108,539
- States present
- 39
Federal workforce data for Department of the Navy. This agency represents 9.6% of the total federal civilian workforce. Source: OPM FedScope, March 2025.
What the Numbers Say About Department of the Navy
Department of the Navy employs 220,459 federal civilian workers, which accounts for 9.6% 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 -0.1%, 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 the Navy is 11.4 years, spread across its 20 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 Navy has employees in 39 states (including DC), with the largest concentration in VIRGINIA (47,970 employees at $105,027 avg salary). Over the most recent 12 months of workforce-dynamics data, the agency recorded 20,805 accessions against 15,131 separations for a net change of +5,674 positions, useful context for job seekers evaluating whether Department of the Navy 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
220,459
Very large employer
-0.1% from prior period
Average Salary
$108,539
Near federal average
+2.4%
Avg Length of Service
11.4 yrs
Average tenure
Sub-agencies
20
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 Navy pay vs. federal civilian average
Agency average $108,539 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 Navy 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 Navy pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Workforce by pay band
How Department of the Navy's 220,459 employees split across salary ranges (sub-agency averages).
- $80k–$100k: 104,268 (47%)
- $100k–$120k: 52,374 (24%)
- $120k–$150k: 63,020 (29%)
- $150k+: 797 (0%)
Agency Average
$108,539
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
-1.2%
Where Department of the Navy ranks on pay
Ranked by agency (not weighted by headcount), its average salary of $108,539 is higher than 13% of the 115 federal agencies (15 pay less on average). Smaller specialized agencies often post higher per-employee averages than large ones like Department of the Navy, 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 Navy sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 115 federal agencies; Department of the Navy ranks higher than 13%.
Salary Range by Sub-agency
Under $80K
0
$80K–$100K
104,268
$100K–$120K
52,374
$120K–$150K
63,020
Over $150K
797
Sub-agencies & Organizational Units
Department of the Navy has 20 sub-agencies. The highest-paying unit averages $152,710.
| Sub-agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naval Sea Systems Command | 37,192 | $128,512 | 11.9 yrs |
| United States Fleet Forces Command | 35,094 | $90,733 | 10.6 yrs |
| Naval Air Systems Command | 29,913 | $118,624 | 11.9 yrs |
| U.S. Pacific Fleet, Commander in Chief | 25,904 | $98,017 | 10.9 yrs |
| U.S. Marine Corps | 18,167 | $99,704 | 11.4 yrs |
| Naval Facilities Engineering Command | 18,163 | $102,558 | 11.5 yrs |
| Commander, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (navwarsyscom) | 10,932 | $136,223 | 13.2 yrs |
| Commander, Navy Installations | 10,817 | $81,858 | 10.9 yrs |
| Naval Supply Systems Command | 7,241 | $95,250 | 11.1 yrs |
| Directorate for Administrations, Logistics, and Operations (dalo) | 5,497 | $121,870 | 12.2 yrs |
| Naval Education and Training Command | 4,577 | $82,171 | 8 yrs |
| Bureau of Naval Personnel | 4,298 | $110,244 | 11.1 yrs |
| Office of Naval Research | 3,018 | $142,826 | 14.4 yrs |
| Immediate Office of the Chief of Naval Operations | 2,214 | $123,832 | 10.6 yrs |
| Naval Medical Command | 2,020 | $98,345 | 11.7 yrs |
| Strategic Systems Programs (ssp) | 1,637 | $137,317 | 11.3 yrs |
| Navy Systems Management Activity | 1,302 | $139,182 | 10.9 yrs |
| Naval Special Warfare Command | 1,228 | $120,119 | 11.8 yrs |
| Naval Intelligence Command | 797 | $152,710 | 13.4 yrs |
| Navy Reserve Force | 448 | $88,656 | 11 yrs |
Geographic Presence
Department of the Navy has employees in 39 states (including DC). VIRGINIA has the most with 47,970 employees.
| State | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIRGINIA | 47,970 | $105,027 | 11.1 yrs |
| CALIFORNIA | 36,131 | $114,803 | 11.6 yrs |
| WASHINGTON | 20,670 | $98,807 | 10.9 yrs |
| MARYLAND | 18,265 | $134,531 | 12 yrs |
| FLORIDA | 13,037 | $95,508 | 11.3 yrs |
| HAWAII | 12,514 | $100,425 | 11.7 yrs |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 10,602 | $146,989 | 12.9 yrs |
| PENNSYLVANIA | 8,020 | $109,210 | 11.2 yrs |
| MAINE | 7,649 | $94,446 | 10.4 yrs |
| NORTH CAROLINA | 7,293 | $86,750 | 11 yrs |
| RHODE ISLAND | 4,556 | $120,089 | 12.1 yrs |
| INDIANA | 4,447 | $112,069 | 12.1 yrs |
| GEORGIA | 4,233 | $84,269 | 11.4 yrs |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | 4,175 | $114,234 | 12.3 yrs |
| MISSISSIPPI | 2,662 | $92,771 | 10.9 yrs |
| NEW JERSEY | 2,547 | $127,068 | 12.9 yrs |
| TEXAS | 1,609 | $90,497 | 11.1 yrs |
| TENNESSEE | 1,419 | $85,398 | 10.6 yrs |
| CONNECTICUT | 1,150 | $107,244 | 10.9 yrs |
| ILLINOIS | 1,092 | $86,981 | 10.5 yrs |
Showing top 20 of 39 states
Workforce Dynamics
Monthly hiring and separation trends. Net change over 12 months: +5,674.
| Month | Accessions | Separations | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | +192 | -1,160 | -968 |
| Feb 2025 | +1,471 | -911 | +560 |
| Jan 2025 | +1,752 | -1,396 | +356 |
| Dec 2024 | +1,580 | -1,937 | -357 |
| Nov 2024 | +1,318 | -1,139 | +179 |
| Oct 2024 | +1,700 | -1,023 | +677 |
| Sep 2024 | +1,845 | -1,225 | +620 |
| Aug 2024 | +1,932 | -1,410 | +522 |
| Jul 2024 | +2,898 | -1,173 | +1,725 |
| Jun 2024 | +2,495 | -1,383 | +1,112 |
| May 2024 | +2,038 | -1,284 | +754 |
| Apr 2024 | +1,584 | -1,090 | +494 |
Hiring & Separation Reasons
Why employees join and leave Department of the Navy
Accession Reasons
New Hire - Competitive Service Appointment
16,910
New Hire - Excepted Service Appointment
3,270
Transfer In - Individual Transfer
625
Separation Reasons
Quit
5,498
Retirement - Voluntary
5,392
Transfer Out - Individual Transfer
2,527
Other Separation
1,181
Termination (Expired Appt/Other)
510
Employee Tenure Distribution
Average length of service is 11.4 years. Employees in sub-agencies grouped by average tenure.
Under 5 yrs
0
5–10 yrs
4,577
10–15 yrs
215,882
15–20 yrs
0
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 Navy
Department of the Army
220,484 employees $101,403 avg
Department of Homeland Security
231,771 employees $103,913 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 the Navy? ▾
Department of the Navy employs 220,459 federal workers as of March 2025. This represents 9.6% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average salary at Department of the Navy? ▾
The average salary at Department of the Navy is $108,539 per year, which is 1.2% below the federal average of $109,869.
What is the average length of service at Department of the Navy? ▾
The average length of service at Department of the Navy is 11.4 years. The federal average is 11.8 years.
How many sub-agencies does Department of the Navy have? ▾
Department of the Navy has 20 sub-agencies or organizational units. The largest is Naval Sea Systems Command with 37,192 employees.
In how many states does Department of the Navy have employees? ▾
Department of the Navy has employees in 39 states (including DC). The largest concentration is in VIRGINIA with 47,970 employees.
Is Department of the Navy hiring or downsizing? ▾
Over the most recent 12 months of data, Department of the Navy had 20,805 accessions and 15,131 separations, for a net change of +5,674 employees.
Where can I find salary data for occupations at Department of the Navy? ▾
PlainGovJobs reports the average salary for Department of the Navy 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.