Federal Employment in Nevada
Nevada employs 16,744 federal civilian workers - 0.7% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $99,250, 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 Nevada
Nevada is home to 16,744 federal civilian employees, which is 0.7% 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 -0.9%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 20 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.
Pay in Nevada averages $99,250 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 9.7% 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 10 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.
The largest federal employer in Nevada is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 6,663 employees at an average salary of $110,331. The highest-paying agency in the state is DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY at $159,641 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to Nevada, 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
16,744
-0.9% from prior period
Average Salary
$99,250
Below federal average
+3.2%
Avg Length of Service
10 yrs
Shorter-tenured workforce
Agencies Present
20
Salary Context
How federal pay in Nevada compares to the national average of $109,869
State Average
$99,250
National Average
$109,869
vs. National Avg
-9.7%
Federal Agencies in Nevada
20 federal agencies operate in Nevada. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest with 6,663 employees.
The 10 largest federal agencies in Nevada by civilian headcount.
Where Nevada ranks nationally
Nevada's 16,744 federal civilian employees are more than 29% of states (15 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where Nevada sits in the national distribution of federal employment.
Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; Nevada ranks higher than 29%.
Similar States by Federal Employment
States with a similar federal workforce size to Nevada
Federal Employment Guides
Learn more about working for the federal government
Frequently Asked Questions
How many federal employees work in Nevada? ▾
What is the average federal salary in Nevada? ▾
Which federal agency has the most employees in Nevada? ▾
What is the highest-paying federal agency in Nevada? ▾
How many federal agencies operate in Nevada? ▾
How does federal employment in Nevada compare to other states? ▾
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.