PlainGovJobs
OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce

Federal Employment in California

California employs 182,276 federal civilian workers - 8.0% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $115,994, drawn directly from OPM FedScope (March 2025). Explore the top agencies, pay, and length of service below.

All states → ⇄ Compare About this data

What the Numbers Say About Federal Employment in California

California is home to 182,276 federal civilian employees, which is 8.0% 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 -1.4%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 44 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.

Pay in California averages $115,994 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 5.6% above 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 11.6 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.

The largest federal employer in California is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 38,505 employees at an average salary of $135,913. The highest-paying agency in the state is SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION at $243,832 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to California, 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

182,276

-1.4% from prior period

Average Salary

$115,994

Near federal average

+3.3%

Avg Length of Service

11.6 yrs

Average tenure

Agencies Present

44

Salary Context

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

State Average

$115,994

National Average

$109,869

vs. National Avg

+5.6%

Federal Agencies in California

44 federal agencies operate in California. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest with 38,505 employees.

1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF…38,5052. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY36,1313. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SE…24,6984. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY9,8515. DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FOR…9,4816. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE9,1267. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE8,6048. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY8,4409. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE8,34410. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR6,047
Largest federal employers in California (by civilian employees)

The 10 largest federal agencies in California by civilian headcount.

Source: OPM FedScope

# Agency Employees Avg Salary
1 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 38,505 $135,913
2 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 36,131 $114,803
3 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 24,698 $107,585
4 DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 9,851 $96,519
5 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 9,481 $109,382
6 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 9,126 $116,460
7 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 8,604 $105,848
8 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 8,440 $99,031
9 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 8,344 $80,419
10 DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR 6,047 $97,868
11 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 5,600 $104,291
12 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 3,892 $152,704
13 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 2,333 $127,974
14 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 2,088 $109,652
15 NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1,806 $164,277
16 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 958 $140,156
17 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 845 $130,602
18 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 843 $99,242
19 GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 792 $134,810
20 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 520 $157,571
21 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPM 502 $145,489
22 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 407 $188,215
23 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 326 $243,832
24 PRESIDIO TRUST 318 $128,364
25 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 270 $115,997
26 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION 141 $128,247
27 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 121 $150,189
28 NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD 116 $143,301
29 NAT ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION 102 $102,976
30 FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM 91 $208,337
31 NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION 69 $113,469
32 FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 56 $174,889
33 OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 51 $140,805
34 CORP FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE 51 $97,921
35 U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEV 48 $141,762
36 RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD 25 $109,140
37 PEACE CORPS 25 $116,191
38 CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION 20 $137,471
39 FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION 17 $138,896
40 DFC 14 $161,860
41 MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD 14 $171,153
42 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 13 $170,740
43 FED MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE 13 $149,637
44 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 12 $202,026

Where California ranks nationally

California's 182,276 federal civilian employees are more than 98% of states (50 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where California 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) - California is in the highlighted range.

Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; California ranks higher than 98%.

Source: OPM FedScope Employment Cubes As of March 2025

Similar States by Federal Employment

States with a similar federal workforce size to California

Texas

171,064 employees $102,154 avg

Virginia

167,789 employees $124,988 avg

Maryland

149,707 employees $138,453 avg

District of Columbia

141,613 employees $150,626 avg

Florida

117,353 employees $102,985 avg

Georgia

90,219 employees $100,945 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.

Share this page

XFacebookLinkedInWhatsAppEmail Download image

Frequently Asked Questions

How many federal employees work in California? ▾
California has 182,276 federal civilian employees as of March 2025. This represents 8.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average federal salary in California? ▾
The average federal salary in California is $115,994 per year, which is 5.6% above the national federal average of $109,869.
Which federal agency has the most employees in California? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest federal employer in California with 38,505 employees and an average salary of $135,913.
What is the highest-paying federal agency in California? ▾
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION has the highest average salary among federal agencies in California at $243,832 per year.
How many federal agencies operate in California? ▾
44 federal agencies have employees in California. The largest is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 38,505 employees.
How does federal employment in California compare to other states? ▾
California ranks among the top states for federal employment, with 8.0% of the total federal civilian workforce. The average length of service is 11.6 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.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
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.