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OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce

Federal Employment in West Virginia

West Virginia employs 22,450 federal civilian workers - 1.0% of the federal workforce, at an average salary of $100,190, 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 West Virginia

West Virginia is home to 22,450 federal civilian employees, which is 1.0% 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 -1.1%, reflecting the combined effect of new hires via USAJOBS, retirements, inter-state transfers, and attrition across the 22 federal agencies currently operating on state soil.

Pay in West Virginia averages $100,190 across all federal grades and occupations, placing the state 8.8% 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 12.1 years, a signal of workforce stability and the degree to which federal careers anchor local economies.

The largest federal employer in West Virginia is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 7,033 employees at an average salary of $101,370. The highest-paying agency in the state is OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT at $148,127 average salary. For job seekers browsing USAJOBS postings filtered to West Virginia, 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

22,450

-1.1% from prior period

Average Salary

$100,190

Below federal average

+2.9%

Avg Length of Service

12.1 yrs

Average tenure

Agencies Present

22

Salary Context

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

State Average

$100,190

National Average

$109,869

vs. National Avg

-8.8%

Federal Agencies in West Virginia

22 federal agencies operate in West Virginia. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest with 7,033 employees.

1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF…7,0332. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE5,6643. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY3,3324. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY1,4245. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SE…1,1206. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE7327. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR5458. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND …4269. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR41010. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY316
Largest federal employers in West Virginia (by civilian employees)

The 10 largest federal agencies in West Virginia by civilian headcount.

Source: OPM FedScope

# Agency Employees Avg Salary
1 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 7,033 $101,370
2 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 5,664 $88,658
3 DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY 3,332 $111,743
4 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 1,424 $85,467
5 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1,120 $111,697
6 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 732 $84,890
7 DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR 545 $103,436
8 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 426 $124,490
9 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 410 $102,715
10 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 316 $133,964
11 SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 300 $96,422
12 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 265 $93,306
13 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 180 $110,867
14 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 131 $96,368
15 GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 52 $127,650
16 NAT AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 44 $139,835
17 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 31 $120,093
18 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 30 $111,586
19 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION 25 $116,952
20 SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 20 $98,577
21 OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 15 $148,127
22 NAT ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION 12 $141,928

Where West Virginia ranks nationally

West Virginia's 22,450 federal civilian employees are more than 41% of states (21 of 51). The highlighted bar marks where West Virginia 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) - West Virginia is in the highlighted range.

Federal employment distribution across all 51 states; West Virginia ranks higher than 41%.

Source: OPM FedScope Employment Cubes As of March 2025

Similar States by Federal Employment

States with a similar federal workforce size to West Virginia

Louisiana

22,772 employees $96,153 avg

Oregon

21,483 employees $102,137 avg

Minnesota

21,114 employees $105,911 avg

Mississippi

20,904 employees $91,486 avg

New Mexico

25,401 employees $97,618 avg

Wisconsin

19,227 employees $99,600 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 West Virginia? ▾
West Virginia has 22,450 federal civilian employees as of March 2025. This represents 1.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average federal salary in West Virginia? ▾
The average federal salary in West Virginia is $100,190 per year, which is 8.8% below the national federal average of $109,869.
Which federal agency has the most employees in West Virginia? ▾
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS is the largest federal employer in West Virginia with 7,033 employees and an average salary of $101,370.
What is the highest-paying federal agency in West Virginia? ▾
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT has the highest average salary among federal agencies in West Virginia at $148,127 per year.
How many federal agencies operate in West Virginia? ▾
22 federal agencies have employees in West Virginia. The largest is DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS with 7,033 employees.
How does federal employment in West Virginia compare to other states? ▾
West Virginia ranks among the lower-ranking states for federal employment, with 1.0% of the total federal civilian workforce. The average length of service is 12.1 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.