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OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce

Federal Employment in South Carolina

South Carolina employs 27,608 federal civilian workers - 1.2% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $98,606, 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 South Carolina

South Carolina is home to 27,608 federal civilian employees, which is 1.2% 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 -0.0%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 24 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.

Pay in South Carolina averages $98,606 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 10.3% 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 South Carolina is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 8,556 employees at an average salary of $104,428. The highest-paying agency in the state is DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY at $145,730 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to South 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

27,608

-0.0% from prior period

Average Salary

$98,606

Below federal average

+2.6%

Avg Length of Service

11.2 yrs

Average tenure

Agencies Present

24

Salary Context

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

State Average

$98,606

National Average

$109,869

vs. National Avg

-10.3%

Federal Agencies in South Carolina

24 federal agencies operate in South Carolina. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest with 8,556 employees.

1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF…8,5562. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY4,1753. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY3,0784. DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FOR…1,9205. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE1,6156. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE1,6017. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SE…1,5238. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE1,0839. DEPARTMENT OF STATE66310. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINIST…583
Largest federal employers in South Carolina (by civilian employees)

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

Source: OPM FedScope

# Agency Employees Avg Salary
1 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 8,556 $104,428
2 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 4,175 $114,234
3 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 3,078 $82,863
4 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 1,920 $80,910
5 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 1,615 $81,146
6 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 1,601 $93,738
7 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1,523 $90,362
8 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 1,083 $75,198
9 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 663 $105,197
10 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 583 $92,396
11 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 500 $101,483
12 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 351 $145,730
13 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 332 $114,994
14 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 278 $108,769
15 DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR 269 $84,991
16 DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 255 $102,202
17 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 88 $77,542
18 GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 59 $121,049
19 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 33 $94,180
20 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 27 $135,387
21 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 19 $107,513
22 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 19 $142,124
23 DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPM 15 $115,394
24 OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 11 $127,925

Where South Carolina ranks nationally

South Carolina's 27,608 federal civilian employees are more than 51% of states (26 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where South 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) - South Carolina is in the highlighted range.

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

Source: OPM FedScope Employment Cubes As of March 2025

Similar States by Federal Employment

States with a similar federal workforce size to South Carolina

Hawaii

27,836 employees $101,199 avg

Indiana

26,912 employees $98,539 avg

Kentucky

26,542 employees $90,123 avg

New Jersey

29,311 employees $121,168 avg

New Mexico

25,401 employees $97,618 avg

Massachusetts

29,918 employees $115,743 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 South Carolina? ▾
South Carolina has 27,608 federal civilian employees as of March 2025. This represents 1.2% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average federal salary in South Carolina? ▾
The average federal salary in South Carolina is $98,606 per year, which is 10.3% below the national federal average of $109,869.
Which federal agency has the most employees in South Carolina? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest federal employer in South Carolina with 8,556 employees and an average salary of $104,428.
What is the highest-paying federal agency in South Carolina? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY has the highest average salary among federal agencies in South Carolina at $145,730 per year.
How many federal agencies operate in South Carolina? ▾
24 federal agencies have employees in South Carolina. The largest is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 8,556 employees.
How does federal employment in South Carolina compare to other states? ▾
South Carolina ranks among the mid-range states for federal employment, with 1.2% 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.