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OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce

Federal Employment in Alabama

Alabama employs 44,822 federal civilian workers - 2.0% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $108,206, drawn directly from OPM FedScope (March 2025). Explore the top agencies, pay, and length of service below.

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What the Numbers Say About Federal Employment in Alabama

Alabama is home to 44,822 federal civilian employees, which is 2.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 recorded in OPM FedScope for March 2025. Versus the prior reporting period, the state's federal headcount moved down by -0.1%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 24 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.

Pay in Alabama averages $108,206 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 1.5% below the national federal civilian average of $109,869. The gap reflects locality-pay tables, the mix of headquarters versus field-office roles, and the occupational profile of agencies that concentrate here. Average length of service is 12.4 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.

The largest federal employer in Alabama is DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY with 17,526 employees at an average salary of $113,113. The highest-paying agency in the state is NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION at $143,961 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to Alabama, these agency-level concentrations matter because they determine which career ladders, locality-pay tables, and mission areas dominate local federal employment. All figures come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, updated semi-annually (March and September).

Federal Employees

44,822

-0.1% from prior period

Average Salary

$108,206

Near federal average

+2.5%

Avg Length of Service

12.4 yrs

Average tenure

Agencies Present

24

Salary Context

How federal pay in Alabama compares to the national average of $109,869

State Average

$108,206

National Average

$109,869

vs. National Avg

-1.5%

Federal Agencies in Alabama

24 federal agencies operate in Alabama. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY is the largest with 17,526 employees.

1. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY17,5262. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF…8,1583. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE4,4054. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE2,6085. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTR…2,4596. NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE…2,2957. DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FOR…2,2258. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SE…1,2919. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE1,03510. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY537
Largest federal employers in Alabama (by civilian employees)

The 10 largest federal agencies in Alabama by civilian headcount.

Source: OPM FedScope

# Agency Employees Avg Salary
1 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 17,526 $113,113
2 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 8,158 $98,964
3 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 4,405 $118,014
4 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 2,608 $109,804
5 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 2,459 $82,336
6 NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 2,295 $143,961
7 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 2,225 $97,422
8 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1,291 $92,063
9 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 1,035 $82,908
10 DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 537 $105,151
11 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 304 $89,121
12 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 303 $113,286
13 DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR 221 $85,950
14 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 188 $105,209
15 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 174 $79,530
16 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 154 $114,670
17 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 126 $102,267
18 GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 108 $115,660
19 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION 68 $103,125
20 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 59 $129,361
21 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 49 $131,007
22 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPM 39 $121,154
23 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 14 $112,960
24 NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION 11 $115,943

Where Alabama ranks nationally

Alabama's 44,822 federal civilian employees are more than 69% of states (35 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where Alabama sits in the national distribution of federal employment.

4,3453034,0001163,655493,3111122,9662152,6213
Distribution of federal civilian employment across all 51 states, including DC (OPM FedScope) - Alabama is in the highlighted range.

Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; Alabama ranks higher than 69%.

Source: OPM FedScope Employment Cubes As of March 2025

Similar States by Federal Employment

States with a similar federal workforce size to Alabama

Colorado

45,068 employees $112,495 avg

Oklahoma

44,363 employees $91,890 avg

Arizona

46,211 employees $98,796 avg

Missouri

40,913 employees $93,101 avg

Illinois

53,474 employees $109,781 avg

Michigan

35,962 employees $109,574 avg

Federal Employment Guides

Learn more about working for the federal government

How to Get a Government Job

Step-by-step guide to finding and applying for federal positions.

GS Pay Scale Explained

Understanding the General Schedule pay system and locality adjustments.

Highest-Paying Federal Jobs

Top federal occupations and agencies ranked by average salary.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many federal employees work in Alabama? ▾
Alabama has 44,822 federal civilian employees as of March 2025. This represents 2.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average federal salary in Alabama? ▾
The average federal salary in Alabama is $108,206 per year, which is 1.5% below the national federal average of $109,869.
Which federal agency has the most employees in Alabama? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY is the largest federal employer in Alabama with 17,526 employees and an average salary of $113,113.
What is the highest-paying federal agency in Alabama? ▾
NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION has the highest average salary among federal agencies in Alabama at $143,961 per year.
How many federal agencies operate in Alabama? ▾
24 federal agencies have employees in Alabama. The largest is DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY with 17,526 employees.
How does federal employment in Alabama compare to other states? ▾
Alabama ranks among the mid-range states for federal employment, with 2.0% of the total federal civilian workforce. The average length of service is 12.4 years.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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Data sourced from USAJOBS and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGovJobs

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 state-level employment records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.