Records analyzed
1 sub-agencies
Cross-joined with state geography and occupational mix
Headcount, average pay, length of service, sub-agencies, and hiring trends for National Archives and Records Administration, drawn directly from the OPM FedScope federal workforce dataset (March 2025).
The verdict
National Archives and Records Administration is a smaller federal agency: 2,810 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce) across 18 states (including DC). At an average salary of $93,615 it pays below the federal average of $109,869, and headcount declined 3.1% from the prior period.
Federal workforce data for National Archives and Records Administration. This agency represents 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce. Source: OPM FedScope, March 2025.
National Archives and Records Administration employs 2,810 federal civilian workers, which accounts for 0.1% 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 down by -3.1%, a signal that hiring authorities and attrition at this agency are shedding net positions during the current reporting window.
Average length of service at National Archives and Records Administration is 13.3 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: National Archives and Records Administration has employees in 18 states (including DC), with the largest concentration in MARYLAND (931 employees at $122,017 avg salary). Over the most recent 12 months of workforce-dynamics data, the agency recorded 242 accessions against 68 separations for a net change of +174 positions, useful context for job seekers evaluating whether National Archives and Records Administration is expanding, contracting, or simply replacing departures. All figures draw directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes and update semi-annually (March and September).
Employees
2,810
Smaller agency
-3.1% from prior period
Average Salary
$93,615
Below federal average
+3.7%
Avg Length of Service
13.3 yrs
Average tenure
Sub-agencies
1
Records analyzed
1 sub-agencies
Cross-joined with state geography and occupational mix
Data vintage
March 2025
OPM FedScope semi-annual snapshot
Source authority
OPM FedScope
U.S. Office of Personnel Management, official federal HR data
Agency average $93,615 relative to federal average $109,869
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 National Archives and Records Administration hires into rather than a modelled per-agency estimate.
National General Schedule grade distribution - 1,517,243 GS employees.
How National Archives and Records Administration pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Agency Average
$93,615
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
-14.8%
Where National Archives and Records Administration ranks on pay
Ranked by agency (not weighted by headcount), its average salary of $93,615 is higher than 3% of the 115 federal agencies (4 pay less on average). Smaller specialized agencies often post higher per-employee averages than large ones like National Archives and Records Administration, so this agency-count rank can differ from a comparison to the government-wide, employee-weighted average shown above. The highlighted bar marks where National Archives and Records Administration sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 115 federal agencies; National Archives and Records Administration ranks higher than 3%.
Under $80K
0
$80K–$100K
2,810
$100K–$120K
0
$120K–$150K
0
Over $150K
0
National Archives and Records Administration has 1 sub-agencies. The highest-paying unit averages $93,615.
| Sub-agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Archives and Records Administration | 2,810 | $93,615 | 13.3 yrs |
National Archives and Records Administration has employees in 18 states (including DC). MARYLAND has the most with 931 employees.
| State | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARYLAND | 931 | $122,017 | 14.1 yrs |
| MISSOURI | 810 | $58,626 | 10.7 yrs |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 265 | $116,816 | 15.4 yrs |
| ILLINOIS | 135 | $66,460 | 8.9 yrs |
| TEXAS | 126 | $91,850 | 16 yrs |
| CALIFORNIA | 102 | $102,976 | 17.1 yrs |
| GEORGIA | 63 | $91,247 | 18.5 yrs |
| OHIO | 62 | $55,118 | 13.6 yrs |
| KANSAS | 62 | $66,125 | 13.3 yrs |
| MASSACHUSETTS | 52 | $108,932 | 15.5 yrs |
| ARKANSAS | 32 | $94,306 | 14.1 yrs |
| PENNSYLVANIA | 31 | $97,918 | 19.3 yrs |
| MICHIGAN | 28 | $94,443 | 11 yrs |
| NEW YORK | 27 | $109,787 | 15.4 yrs |
| WASHINGTON | 19 | $91,828 | 12.5 yrs |
| COLORADO | 17 | $97,318 | 14.1 yrs |
| IOWA | 15 | $88,282 | 11.6 yrs |
| WEST VIRGINIA | 12 | $141,928 | 11.8 yrs |
Monthly hiring and separation trends. Net change over 12 months: +174.
| Month | Accessions | Separations | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | +0 | -13 | -13 |
| Feb 2025 | +0 | -12 | -12 |
| Jan 2025 | +28 | -0 | +28 |
| Dec 2024 | +0 | -21 | -21 |
| Nov 2024 | +14 | -11 | +3 |
| Oct 2024 | +13 | -11 | +2 |
| Sep 2024 | +27 | -0 | +27 |
| Aug 2024 | +35 | -0 | +35 |
| Jul 2024 | +19 | -0 | +19 |
| Jun 2024 | +31 | -0 | +31 |
| May 2024 | +43 | -0 | +43 |
| Apr 2024 | +32 | -0 | +32 |
Why employees join and leave National Archives and Records Administration
New Hire - Competitive Service Appointment
242
Retirement - Voluntary
34
Transfer Out - Individual Transfer
22
Other Separation
12
Learn more about working for the federal government
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Office of Personnel Management
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Federal Reserve System
Government Printing Office
National Science Foundation
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.
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.