Federal Employment in Minnesota
Minnesota employs 21,114 federal civilian workers - 0.9% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $105,911, 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 Minnesota
Minnesota is home to 21,114 federal civilian employees, which is 0.9% 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 -1.2%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 28 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.
Pay in Minnesota averages $105,911 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 3.6% 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 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.
The largest federal employer in Minnesota is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 8,538 employees at an average salary of $109,458. The highest-paying agency in the state is FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM at $184,656 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to Minnesota, 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
21,114
-1.2% from prior period
Average Salary
$105,911
Near federal average
+2.7%
Avg Length of Service
11 yrs
Average tenure
Agencies Present
28
Salary Context
How federal pay in Minnesota compares to the national average of $109,869
State Average
$105,911
National Average
$109,869
vs. National Avg
-3.6%
Federal Agencies in Minnesota
28 federal agencies operate in Minnesota. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest with 8,538 employees.
The 10 largest federal agencies in Minnesota by civilian headcount.
Where Minnesota ranks nationally
Minnesota's 21,114 federal civilian employees are more than 37% of states (19 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where Minnesota sits in the national distribution of federal employment.
Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; Minnesota ranks higher than 37%.
Similar States by Federal Employment
States with a similar federal workforce size to Minnesota
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.