Federal Employment in South Carolina
South Carolina ranks #28 of 51 states and territories by federal civilian headcount in OPM FedScope June 2026. South Carolina sits mid-pack on federal headcount: 12,597 civilians (0.6% of the disclosed workforce) at $105,109 average pay. Pay tracks near the middle of the state pack (Below federal average). Average length of service (12.3 yrs) sits near the cohort middle. Source: OPM FedScope June 2026.
Federal Employees
12,597
-0.3% from prior period
Average Salary
$105,109
Below federal average
+0.1%
Avg Length of Service
12.3 yrs
Average tenure
Agencies Present
44
Federal Agencies in South Carolina
44 agencies disclose staff in South Carolina; DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS leads with 7,855 employees.
The 10 largest federal agencies in South Carolina by civilian headcount.
Where South Carolina sits nationally
South Carolina's 12,597 civilians place it mid-pack among 51 states and territories by FedScope headcount (inventory signal, not a quality ranking).
South Carolina vs all states by federal civilian headcount
Where this state's disclosed OPM FedScope employee count sits among every tracked state and territory
12,597 28th of 51 higher than 23 of 51 states
States and territories, banded by federal civilian headcount
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source OPM FedScope Employment Cubes · June 2026
Similar States by Federal Employment
States whose disclosed federal headcount sits closest to South Carolina's 12,597.
Nationwide states near South Carolina on pay or tenure
Cross-state peers on OPM FedScope average pay and length of service, separate from the headcount neighbourhood above.
Similar average salary
Nearest state-wide average salaries ($105,109 here).
Similar average tenure
Nearest state-wide average length of service (12.3 years here).
Data Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) FedScope Employment Cubes, June 2026. Federal civilian non-seasonal full-time and part-time employees. Data does not include military personnel, postal workers, or intelligence agency staff. Last updated: 2026-08-11.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.
Data currency: Employment stock from OPM Federal Workforce Data June 2026 (prior-period deltas vs May 2026); monthly hiring/separations from FWD Dynamics June 2024–June 2026 (filled civilian headcount and flows, not live USAJOBS vacancy listings). State pages sum only duty stations with a disclosed US state/DC code; 898,675 employees have redacted geography in the release and appear in the national total only. Database compiled 2026-08-11. See our methodology § populations for the three windows. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.