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Federal Employment in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Federal workforce data for DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. This state accounts for 6.2% of the total federal civilian workforce. Source: OPM FedScope, March 2025.

What the Numbers Say About Federal Employment in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA is home to 141,613 federal civilian employees, which is 6.2% 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 -1.1%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 93 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.

Pay in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA averages $150,626 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 37.1% 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 14.1 years — a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.

The largest federal employer in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA is DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY with 18,698 employees at an average salary of $142,483. The highest-paying agency in the state is COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION at $244,690 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 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 quarterly.

Federal Employees

141,613

-1.1% from prior period

Average Salary

$150,626

+3.1%

Avg Length of Service

14.1 yrs

Agencies Present

93

Salary Context

How federal pay in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA compares to the national average of $109,869

State Average

$150,626

National Average

$109,869

vs. National Avg

+37.1%

Federal Agencies in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

93 federal agencies operate in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY is the largest with 18,698 employees.

# Agency Employees Avg Salary
1 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 18,698 $142,483
2 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 15,963 $148,984
3 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 10,602 $146,989
4 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 10,094 $142,190
5 DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 8,074 $157,431
6 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 7,862 $155,859
7 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 6,781 $141,622
8 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 4,344 $151,821
9 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 4,330 $160,425
10 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 4,066 $149,005
11 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 3,579 $142,929
12 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 3,277 $145,327
13 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 3,078 $149,053
14 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPM 2,986 $151,401
15 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 2,705 $150,933
16 U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEV 2,691 $156,386
17 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 2,335 $230,214
18 DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR 2,309 $131,976
19 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 2,104 $205,604
20 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 1,814 $151,463
21 GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 1,632 $142,226
22 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1,338 $114,399
23 FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 1,288 $171,491
24 OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 1,094 $140,420
25 COURT SERVICES AND OFFENDR SUPERVSN AGY 1,024 $125,905
26 FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM 996 $205,066
27 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 955 $132,536
28 U.S.AGENCY FOR GLOBAL MEDIA 938 $140,955
29 FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 914 $168,808
30 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 904 $126,868
31 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 877 $146,940
32 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 844 $136,744
33 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 844 $116,030
34 NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 816 $176,297
35 PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION 766 $156,176
36 FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY 731 $205,039
37 OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET 512 $167,305
38 COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION 446 $244,690
39 U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION 438 $155,897
40 DFC 435 $157,277
41 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION 405 $149,141
42 NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD 380 $158,234
43 NAT FOUNDATION ON ARTS AND HUMANITIES 379 $124,962
44 PEACE CORPS 373 $137,026
45 EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES 325 $151,399
46 NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD 299 $166,217
47 FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION 280 $142,803
48 MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION 280 $171,931
49 NAT ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION 265 $116,816
50 OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION 247 $134,462
51 FED RETIREMENT THRIFT INVESTMENT BOARD 232 $162,529
52 CORP FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE 223 $138,152
53 OFFICE OF THE U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE 222 $168,935
54 ARMED FORCES RETIREMENT HOME 175 $84,125
55 JUDICIAL BRANCH 146 $125,783
56 FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION 125 $151,476
57 SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD 120 $171,288
58 MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD 91 $160,054
59 OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL 83 $157,739
60 U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM 78 $136,756
61 DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD 76 $186,725
62 NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL 76 $141,507
63 FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY 59 $165,725
64 OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY 52 $169,356
65 OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS 46 $166,125
66 MEDICAID & CHIP PAYMENT & ACCESS COMM 42 $149,720
67 FED MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW CMSN 41 $137,832
68 COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 39 $130,107
69 ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 38 $124,326
70 FED MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE 38 $145,469
71 ARCHITECTL & TRANS BARRIER COMPLIANCE BD 36 $163,126
72 ADV COUNCIL ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION 36 $142,208
73 INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION 36 $142,352
74 NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION 35 $154,237
75 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH REVIEW CMSN 35 $151,569
76 PRIVACY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES OVERSIGHT 34 $168,437
77 AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION 32 $114,390
78 OFC OF THE NAT CYBER DIR 31 $172,953
79 NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD 26 $148,188
80 U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC & SECURITY REV CMSN 26 $136,794
81 COUNCIL ON ENVIR QUAL/OFC OF ENVIR QUAL 22 $156,959
82 OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY 20 $148,253
83 U.S. CMSN ON INTERNATL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 20 $108,655
84 CMSN FOR PRES OF AMERICA'S HERITAGE ABRD 18 $10,844
85 COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS 17 $119,108
86 NAT CMSN ON LIBRARIES AND INFO SCIENCE 17 $120,785
87 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 16 $141,249
88 NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION 15 $103,427
89 CMTE FOR PURCH FRM PPLE BLIND OR SEV DIS 15 $166,560
90 COUNCIL OF INSP. GEN. ON INTEG.& EFFIC. 14 $158,934
91 CHEMICAL SAFETY/HAZARD INVESTIGATION BD 13 $155,343
92 COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS 12 $158,075
93 INTERNATIONAL JOINT CMSN: U.S. & CANADA 11 $161,746

Related Federal Data

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WageDex — Salary Data

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PlainWorker — Worker Protections

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PlainPension — Pension Data

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PlainCost — Cost of Living

BEA Regional Price Parities for 387 metros. See how far your federal salary goes in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Similar States by Federal Employment

States with a similar federal workforce size to DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

MARYLAND

149,707 employees $138,453 avg

FLORIDA

117,353 employees $102,985 avg

VIRGINIA

167,789 employees $124,988 avg

TEXAS

171,064 employees $102,154 avg

CALIFORNIA

182,276 employees $115,994 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many federal employees work in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA? ▾
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA has 141,613 federal civilian employees as of March 2025. This represents 6.2% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average federal salary in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA? ▾
The average federal salary in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA is $150,626 per year, which is 37.1% above the national federal average of $109,869.
Which federal agency has the most employees in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY is the largest federal employer in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA with 18,698 employees and an average salary of $142,483.
What is the highest-paying federal agency in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA? ▾
COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION has the highest average salary among federal agencies in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA at $244,690 per year.
How many federal agencies operate in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA? ▾
93 federal agencies have employees in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. The largest is DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY with 18,698 employees.
How does federal employment in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA compare to other states? ▾
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ranks among the top states for federal employment, with 6.2% of the total federal civilian workforce. The average length of service is 14.1 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 official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGovJobs Editorial