PlainGovJobs
OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce

Federal Employment in Maryland

Maryland employs 149,707 federal civilian workers - 6.5% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $138,453, 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 Maryland

Maryland is home to 149,707 federal civilian employees, which is 6.5% 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 46 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.

Pay in Maryland averages $138,453 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 26.0% 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 13.8 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.

The largest federal employer in Maryland is DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES with 40,882 employees at an average salary of $151,300. The highest-paying agency in the state is SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION at $220,847 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to Maryland, 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

149,707

-1.4% from prior period

Average Salary

$138,453

Well above federal average

+2.3%

Avg Length of Service

13.8 yrs

Long-tenured workforce

Agencies Present

46

Salary Context

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

State Average

$138,453

National Average

$109,869

vs. National Avg

+26.0%

Federal Agencies in Maryland

46 federal agencies operate in Maryland. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES is the largest with 40,882 employees.

1. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND …40,8822. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY18,2653. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY15,1284. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE12,9885. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE11,2846. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTR…9,4807. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SE…8,3038. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF…6,4329. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY5,49410. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE3,175
Largest federal employers in Maryland (by civilian employees)

The 10 largest federal agencies in Maryland by civilian headcount.

Source: OPM FedScope

# Agency Employees Avg Salary
1 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 40,882 $151,300
2 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 18,265 $134,531
3 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 15,128 $132,411
4 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 12,988 $145,285
5 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 11,284 $126,489
6 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 9,480 $121,674
7 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 8,303 $123,123
8 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 6,432 $123,712
9 DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 5,494 $143,825
10 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 3,175 $128,581
11 NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 2,864 $165,057
12 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 2,544 $122,775
13 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 1,908 $162,933
14 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 1,544 $123,306
15 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 1,304 $154,678
16 GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 1,060 $148,244
17 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 974 $138,476
18 NAT ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION 931 $122,017
19 DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR 900 $105,264
20 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 672 $147,354
21 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 490 $145,831
22 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 391 $93,324
23 CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION 384 $149,312
24 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 356 $151,053
25 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPM 221 $146,652
26 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 207 $89,142
27 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 168 $220,847
28 U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEV 167 $148,086
29 OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 88 $149,791
30 PEACE CORPS 84 $137,762
31 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 73 $189,792
32 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 68 $148,941
33 U.S.AGENCY FOR GLOBAL MEDIA 66 $139,615
34 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION 48 $134,799
35 CORP FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE 42 $115,584
36 FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 40 $162,444
37 DFC 39 $156,637
38 PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION 31 $154,737
39 U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM 29 $134,607
40 NAT FOUNDATION ON ARTS AND HUMANITIES 28 $127,908
41 NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD 26 $144,991
42 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 22 $142,945
43 FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 18 $160,970
44 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 18 $96,061
45 FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM 15 $173,472
46 NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION 11 $127,898

Where Maryland ranks nationally

Maryland's 149,707 federal civilian employees are more than 92% of states (47 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where Maryland 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) - Maryland is in the highlighted range.

Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; Maryland ranks higher than 92%.

Source: OPM FedScope Employment Cubes As of March 2025

Similar States by Federal Employment

States with a similar federal workforce size to Maryland

District of Columbia

141,613 employees $150,626 avg

Virginia

167,789 employees $124,988 avg

Texas

171,064 employees $102,154 avg

Florida

117,353 employees $102,985 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.

Share this page

XFacebookLinkedInWhatsAppEmail Download image

Frequently Asked Questions

How many federal employees work in Maryland? ▾
Maryland has 149,707 federal civilian employees as of March 2025. This represents 6.5% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average federal salary in Maryland? ▾
The average federal salary in Maryland is $138,453 per year, which is 26.0% above the national federal average of $109,869.
Which federal agency has the most employees in Maryland? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES is the largest federal employer in Maryland with 40,882 employees and an average salary of $151,300.
What is the highest-paying federal agency in Maryland? ▾
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION has the highest average salary among federal agencies in Maryland at $220,847 per year.
How many federal agencies operate in Maryland? ▾
46 federal agencies have employees in Maryland. The largest is DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES with 40,882 employees.
How does federal employment in Maryland compare to other states? ▾
Maryland ranks among the top states for federal employment, with 6.5% of the total federal civilian workforce. The average length of service is 13.8 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.