How many civilian federal government jobs are located in Virginia?
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There are about 169,900 civilian federal government jobs located in Virginia, as of July 2026. Federal jobs include all jobs ranging from janitors to air traffic controllers to nurses to postal workers and more. (Enlisted service people are considered government employees but aren’t included in this figure because they’re not civilians.) Federal jobs represent 4% of all nonfarm jobs in the state.
169.9K
jobs in the federal government (July 2026)
4%
federal government share of all nonfarm jobs (July 2026)
As of July 2026, there were 169.9 thousand federal government jobs in Virginia.
Civilian federal government employees, January 2006 to July 2026
What share of all civilian jobs in Virginia are in the federal government?
In June 2026, 4% of nonfarm jobs in Virginia were in the federal government. The state’s share of federal employment peaked in April 2020 at 5.1%. It hit a low in January 2026 at 4% of all employment.
As of July 2026, 4% of jobs in Virginia were in the federal government.
Civilian federal government share of nonfarm employment, January 2006 to July 2026
Which federal agencies employ the most civilians?
In June 2026, there were 44,200 people in Virginia working in the executive branch of the federal government, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management. This is primarily limited to full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers in the executive branch. It excludes some employees, including postal workers and all Department of Defense employees, regardless of enlisted or civilian status.
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The Department of Veterans Affairs accounted for 26.7% of the total, more than any other cabinet department or independent agency. In second position, Department of Homeland Security accounted for 17.7% of the state’s federal employees. The Department of Commerce was third, accounting for 16.9%.
In June 2026, the Department of Veterans Affairs accounted for more federal workers in Virginia than any other agency.
Civilian federal personnel, primarily in executive branch, as of June 2026
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
