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OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce

Federal Employment in North Carolina

North Carolina employs 57,025 federal civilian workers - 2.5% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $100,537, 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 North Carolina

North Carolina is home to 57,025 federal civilian employees, which is 2.5% 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 -0.3%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 32 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.

Pay in North Carolina averages $100,537 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 8.5% 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 10.8 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.

The largest federal employer in North Carolina is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 17,160 employees at an average salary of $109,712. The highest-paying agency in the state is FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM at $170,472 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to North Carolina, 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

57,025

-0.3% from prior period

Average Salary

$100,537

Below federal average

+2.8%

Avg Length of Service

10.8 yrs

Average tenure

Agencies Present

32

Salary Context

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

State Average

$100,537

National Average

$109,869

vs. National Avg

-8.5%

Federal Agencies in North Carolina

32 federal agencies operate in North Carolina. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest with 17,160 employees.

1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF…17,1602. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY7,8713. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY7,2934. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE6,2315. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SE…3,7246. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE2,3227. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE2,1758. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION …1,5059. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND …1,42910. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINIST…1,278
Largest federal employers in North Carolina (by civilian employees)

The 10 largest federal agencies in North Carolina by civilian headcount.

Source: OPM FedScope

# Agency Employees Avg Salary
1 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 17,160 $109,712
2 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 7,871 $97,515
3 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 7,293 $86,750
4 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 6,231 $82,788
5 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 3,724 $86,323
6 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 2,322 $103,488
7 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 2,175 $90,427
8 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 1,505 $130,136
9 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 1,429 $125,915
10 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 1,278 $98,015
11 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 1,206 $89,849
12 DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 1,128 $118,719
13 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 863 $113,953
14 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 684 $132,679
15 DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR 673 $85,490
16 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 148 $77,787
17 GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 148 $123,514
18 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 141 $162,102
19 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 93 $102,110
20 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION 83 $107,745
21 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 58 $137,299
22 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPM 46 $127,161
23 OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 34 $121,921
24 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 33 $128,619
25 U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEV 25 $130,126
26 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 22 $152,302
27 FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM 21 $170,472
28 NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION 21 $102,630
29 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 18 $128,968
30 NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD 17 $130,512
31 U.S.AGENCY FOR GLOBAL MEDIA 12 $128,136
32 CORP FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE 12 $98,918

Where North Carolina ranks nationally

North Carolina's 57,025 federal civilian employees are more than 76% of states (39 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where North Carolina 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) - North Carolina is in the highlighted range.

Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; North Carolina ranks higher than 76%.

Source: OPM FedScope Employment Cubes As of March 2025

Similar States by Federal Employment

States with a similar federal workforce size to North Carolina

Ohio

60,425 employees $108,213 avg

Illinois

53,474 employees $109,781 avg

Washington

64,218 employees $105,919 avg

Arizona

46,211 employees $98,796 avg

Colorado

45,068 employees $112,495 avg

Alabama

44,822 employees $108,206 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 North Carolina? ▾
North Carolina has 57,025 federal civilian employees as of March 2025. This represents 2.5% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average federal salary in North Carolina? ▾
The average federal salary in North Carolina is $100,537 per year, which is 8.5% below the national federal average of $109,869.
Which federal agency has the most employees in North Carolina? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest federal employer in North Carolina with 17,160 employees and an average salary of $109,712.
What is the highest-paying federal agency in North Carolina? ▾
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM has the highest average salary among federal agencies in North Carolina at $170,472 per year.
How many federal agencies operate in North Carolina? ▾
32 federal agencies have employees in North Carolina. The largest is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 17,160 employees.
How does federal employment in North Carolina compare to other states? ▾
North Carolina ranks among the mid-range states for federal employment, with 2.5% of the total federal civilian workforce. The average length of service is 10.8 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.

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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.