PlainGovJobs
OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce

Federal Employment in Massachusetts

Massachusetts employs 29,918 federal civilian workers - 1.3% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $115,743, 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 Massachusetts

Massachusetts is home to 29,918 federal civilian employees, which is 1.3% 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 -1.3%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 31 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.

Pay in Massachusetts averages $115,743 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 5.3% 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 12 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.

The largest federal employer in Massachusetts is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 8,619 employees at an average salary of $116,686. The highest-paying agency in the state is SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION at $229,791 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to Massachusetts, 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

29,918

-1.3% from prior period

Average Salary

$115,743

Near federal average

+2.8%

Avg Length of Service

12 yrs

Average tenure

Agencies Present

31

Salary Context

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

State Average

$115,743

National Average

$109,869

vs. National Avg

+5.3%

Federal Agencies in Massachusetts

31 federal agencies operate in Massachusetts. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest with 8,619 employees.

1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF…8,6192. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SE…3,5173. DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FOR…3,3814. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY2,3525. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY2,1756. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE1,5227. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTAT…1,0328. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTR…9509. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR88810. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND…803
Largest federal employers in Massachusetts (by civilian employees)

The 10 largest federal agencies in Massachusetts by civilian headcount.

Source: OPM FedScope

# Agency Employees Avg Salary
1 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 8,619 $116,686
2 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 3,517 $98,426
3 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 3,381 $116,432
4 DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 2,352 $95,467
5 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 2,175 $112,971
6 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 1,522 $119,693
7 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 1,032 $141,174
8 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 950 $112,156
9 DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR 888 $102,734
10 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 803 $132,260
11 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 784 $118,342
12 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 683 $118,382
13 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 630 $126,311
14 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 449 $103,720
15 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 382 $127,941
16 GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 233 $138,305
17 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 189 $229,791
18 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPM 168 $140,445
19 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 165 $184,774
20 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 132 $118,330
21 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 69 $108,798
22 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 55 $140,369
23 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 52 $186,141
24 NAT ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION 52 $108,932
25 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 45 $108,647
26 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 41 $151,040
27 NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD 23 $143,761
28 NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION 21 $117,635
29 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION 19 $118,616
30 FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM 18 $206,645
31 U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEV 15 $157,017

Where Massachusetts ranks nationally

Massachusetts's 29,918 federal civilian employees are more than 57% of states (29 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where Massachusetts 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) - Massachusetts is in the highlighted range.

Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; Massachusetts ranks higher than 57%.

Source: OPM FedScope Employment Cubes As of March 2025

Similar States by Federal Employment

States with a similar federal workforce size to Massachusetts

New Jersey

29,311 employees $121,168 avg

Hawaii

27,836 employees $101,199 avg

South Carolina

27,608 employees $98,606 avg

Indiana

26,912 employees $98,539 avg

Kentucky

26,542 employees $90,123 avg

New Mexico

25,401 employees $97,618 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 Massachusetts? ▾
Massachusetts has 29,918 federal civilian employees as of March 2025. This represents 1.3% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average federal salary in Massachusetts? ▾
The average federal salary in Massachusetts is $115,743 per year, which is 5.3% above the national federal average of $109,869.
Which federal agency has the most employees in Massachusetts? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest federal employer in Massachusetts with 8,619 employees and an average salary of $116,686.
What is the highest-paying federal agency in Massachusetts? ▾
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION has the highest average salary among federal agencies in Massachusetts at $229,791 per year.
How many federal agencies operate in Massachusetts? ▾
31 federal agencies have employees in Massachusetts. The largest is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 8,619 employees.
How does federal employment in Massachusetts compare to other states? ▾
Massachusetts ranks among the mid-range states for federal employment, with 1.3% of the total federal civilian workforce. The average length of service is 12 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.