Federal Employment in Hawaii
Hawaii employs 27,836 federal civilian workers - 1.2% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $101,199, drawn directly from OPM FedScope (March 2025). Explore the top agencies, pay, and length of service below.
What the Numbers Say About Federal Employment in Hawaii
Hawaii is home to 27,836 federal civilian employees, which is 1.2% 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 -0.3%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 21 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.
Pay in Hawaii averages $101,199 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 7.9% 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 11.5 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.
The largest federal employer in Hawaii is DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY with 12,514 employees at an average salary of $100,425. The highest-paying agency in the state is DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION at $137,853 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to Hawaii, 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
27,836
-0.3% from prior period
Average Salary
$101,199
Near federal average
+2.2%
Avg Length of Service
11.5 yrs
Average tenure
Agencies Present
21
Salary Context
How federal pay in Hawaii compares to the national average of $109,869
State Average
$101,199
National Average
$109,869
vs. National Avg
-7.9%
Federal Agencies in Hawaii
21 federal agencies operate in Hawaii. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY is the largest with 12,514 employees.
The 10 largest federal agencies in Hawaii by civilian headcount.
| # | Agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY | 12,514 | $100,425 | 11.7 yrs |
| 2 | DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE | 3,244 | $101,846 | 11 yrs |
| 3 | DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY | 3,027 | $102,268 | 12 yrs |
| 4 | DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS | 2,232 | $118,448 | 8.8 yrs |
| 5 | DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY | 2,017 | $84,305 | 12 yrs |
| 6 | DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE | 1,251 | $106,180 | 10.9 yrs |
| 7 | DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE | 784 | $65,597 | 9.6 yrs |
| 8 | DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR | 627 | $83,735 | 12.3 yrs |
| 9 | DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE | 471 | $104,642 | 13.6 yrs |
| 10 | DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE | 462 | $115,159 | 12.8 yrs |
| 11 | DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION | 386 | $137,853 | 15.4 yrs |
| 12 | SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION | 127 | $92,286 | 14.3 yrs |
| 13 | DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY | 108 | $116,488 | 16.2 yrs |
| 14 | DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES | 78 | $103,621 | 12.5 yrs |
| 15 | GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION | 54 | $114,247 | 13.6 yrs |
| 16 | DEPARTMENT OF STATE | 25 | $106,725 | 16.8 yrs |
| 17 | SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | 25 | $97,283 | 7.6 yrs |
| 18 | SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION | 17 | $89,598 | 11.3 yrs |
| 19 | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY | 16 | $124,183 | 14.2 yrs |
| 20 | DEPARTMENT OF LABOR | 13 | $104,899 | 16.6 yrs |
| 21 | EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION | 11 | $81,903 | 12.1 yrs |
Where Hawaii ranks nationally
Hawaii's 27,836 federal civilian employees are more than 53% of states (27 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where Hawaii sits in the national distribution of federal employment.
Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; Hawaii ranks higher than 53%.
Similar States by Federal Employment
States with a similar federal workforce size to Hawaii
Federal Employment Guides
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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
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.