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OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce

Federal Employment in Mississippi

Mississippi employs 20,904 federal civilian workers - 0.9% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $91,486, 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 Mississippi

Mississippi is home to 20,904 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 -1.4%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 25 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.

Pay in Mississippi averages $91,486 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 16.7% 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 11.2 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.

The largest federal employer in Mississippi is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 5,074 employees at an average salary of $95,084. The highest-paying agency in the state is FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION at $131,206 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to Mississippi, 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

20,904

-1.4% from prior period

Average Salary

$91,486

Below federal average

+2.6%

Avg Length of Service

11.2 yrs

Average tenure

Agencies Present

25

Salary Context

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

State Average

$91,486

National Average

$109,869

vs. National Avg

-16.7%

Federal Agencies in Mississippi

25 federal agencies operate in Mississippi. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest with 5,074 employees.

1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF…5,0742. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY3,9493. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY2,6624. DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FOR…2,1195. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE1,5376. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE1,1747. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SE…8158. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTR…5209. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE50310. NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPAC…438
Largest federal employers in Mississippi (by civilian employees)

The 10 largest federal agencies in Mississippi by civilian headcount.

Source: OPM FedScope

# Agency Employees Avg Salary
1 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 5,074 $95,084
2 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 3,949 $93,002
3 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 2,662 $92,771
4 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 2,119 $82,473
5 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 1,537 $79,581
6 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 1,174 $89,162
7 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 815 $87,271
8 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 520 $93,995
9 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 503 $72,323
10 NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 438 $130,226
11 DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR 343 $78,807
12 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 332 $89,389
13 DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 269 $86,439
14 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 178 $110,105
15 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 144 $99,670
16 ARMED FORCES RETIREMENT HOME 136 $73,236
17 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 69 $76,694
18 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 53 $96,744
19 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 51 $131,206
20 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 33 $102,489
21 CORP FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE 25 $83,225
22 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION 21 $97,226
23 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 21 $119,347
24 GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 17 $105,697
25 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPM 12 $116,572

Where Mississippi ranks nationally

Mississippi's 20,904 federal civilian employees are more than 35% of states (18 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where Mississippi 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) - Mississippi is in the highlighted range.

Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; Mississippi ranks higher than 35%.

Source: OPM FedScope Employment Cubes As of March 2025

Similar States by Federal Employment

States with a similar federal workforce size to Mississippi

Minnesota

21,114 employees $105,911 avg

Oregon

21,483 employees $102,137 avg

West Virginia

22,450 employees $100,190 avg

Wisconsin

19,227 employees $99,600 avg

Louisiana

22,772 employees $96,153 avg

Kansas

18,747 employees $96,116 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 Mississippi? ▾
Mississippi has 20,904 federal civilian employees as of March 2025. This represents 0.9% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average federal salary in Mississippi? ▾
The average federal salary in Mississippi is $91,486 per year, which is 16.7% below the national federal average of $109,869.
Which federal agency has the most employees in Mississippi? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest federal employer in Mississippi with 5,074 employees and an average salary of $95,084.
What is the highest-paying federal agency in Mississippi? ▾
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION has the highest average salary among federal agencies in Mississippi at $131,206 per year.
How many federal agencies operate in Mississippi? ▾
25 federal agencies have employees in Mississippi. The largest is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 5,074 employees.
How does federal employment in Mississippi compare to other states? ▾
Mississippi ranks among the lower-ranking states for federal employment, with 0.9% of the total federal civilian workforce. The average length of service is 11.2 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.