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OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce

Federal Employment in Louisiana

Louisiana employs 22,772 federal civilian workers - 1.0% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $96,153, 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 Louisiana

Louisiana is home to 22,772 federal civilian employees, which is 1.0% 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 -0.3%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 26 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.

Pay in Louisiana averages $96,153 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 12.5% 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 11.5 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.

The largest federal employer in Louisiana is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 6,462 employees at an average salary of $104,646. The highest-paying agency in the state is NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION at $148,586 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to Louisiana, 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

22,772

-0.3% from prior period

Average Salary

$96,153

Below federal average

+2.0%

Avg Length of Service

11.5 yrs

Average tenure

Agencies Present

26

Salary Context

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

State Average

$96,153

National Average

$109,869

vs. National Avg

-12.5%

Federal Agencies in Louisiana

26 federal agencies operate in Louisiana. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest with 6,462 employees.

1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF…6,4622. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY3,0783. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SE…2,3074. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE2,1435. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE1,9576. DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FOR…1,5097. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR9498. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY8369. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE69010. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINIST…580
Largest federal employers in Louisiana (by civilian employees)

The 10 largest federal agencies in Louisiana by civilian headcount.

Source: OPM FedScope

# Agency Employees Avg Salary
1 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 6,462 $104,646
2 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 3,078 $87,912
3 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 2,307 $89,407
4 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 2,143 $84,738
5 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 1,957 $93,154
6 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 1,509 $96,027
7 DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR 949 $111,800
8 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 836 $96,919
9 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 690 $72,076
10 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 580 $92,514
11 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 345 $108,378
12 DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 333 $99,031
13 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 266 $82,631
14 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 212 $112,721
15 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 151 $83,038
16 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 125 $74,071
17 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 92 $132,285
18 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 70 $110,712
19 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 55 $126,910
20 NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 44 $148,586
21 GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 30 $108,747
22 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPM 26 $120,295
23 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 26 $106,138
24 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION 23 $106,860
25 NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD 22 $116,398
26 NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION 19 $106,882

Where Louisiana ranks nationally

Louisiana's 22,772 federal civilian employees are more than 43% of states (22 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where Louisiana 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) - Louisiana is in the highlighted range.

Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; Louisiana ranks higher than 43%.

Source: OPM FedScope Employment Cubes As of March 2025

Similar States by Federal Employment

States with a similar federal workforce size to Louisiana

West Virginia

22,450 employees $100,190 avg

Oregon

21,483 employees $102,137 avg

Minnesota

21,114 employees $105,911 avg

Mississippi

20,904 employees $91,486 avg

New Mexico

25,401 employees $97,618 avg

Wisconsin

19,227 employees $99,600 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 Louisiana? ▾
Louisiana has 22,772 federal civilian employees as of March 2025. This represents 1.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average federal salary in Louisiana? ▾
The average federal salary in Louisiana is $96,153 per year, which is 12.5% below the national federal average of $109,869.
Which federal agency has the most employees in Louisiana? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest federal employer in Louisiana with 6,462 employees and an average salary of $104,646.
What is the highest-paying federal agency in Louisiana? ▾
NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION has the highest average salary among federal agencies in Louisiana at $148,586 per year.
How many federal agencies operate in Louisiana? ▾
26 federal agencies have employees in Louisiana. The largest is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 6,462 employees.
How does federal employment in Louisiana compare to other states? ▾
Louisiana ranks among the lower-ranking states for federal employment, with 1.0% of the total federal civilian workforce. The average length of service is 11.5 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.