Federal Employment in Kentucky
Kentucky employs 26,542 federal civilian workers - 1.2% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $90,123, 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 Kentucky
Kentucky is home to 26,542 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 -0.2%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 23 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.
Pay in Kentucky averages $90,123 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 18.0% 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 11.3 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.
The largest federal employer in Kentucky is DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY with 7,430 employees at an average salary of $85,565. The highest-paying agency in the state is DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY at $135,904 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to Kentucky, 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
26,542
-0.2% from prior period
Average Salary
$90,123
Below federal average
+2.6%
Avg Length of Service
11.3 yrs
Average tenure
Agencies Present
23
Salary Context
How federal pay in Kentucky compares to the national average of $109,869
State Average
$90,123
National Average
$109,869
vs. National Avg
-18.0%
Federal Agencies in Kentucky
23 federal agencies operate in Kentucky. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY is the largest with 7,430 employees.
The 10 largest federal agencies in Kentucky by civilian headcount.
Where Kentucky ranks nationally
Kentucky's 26,542 federal civilian employees are more than 47% of states (24 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where Kentucky sits in the national distribution of federal employment.
Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; Kentucky ranks higher than 47%.
Similar States by Federal Employment
States with a similar federal workforce size to Kentucky
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.