How many civilian federal government jobs are located in Virginia?
Refreshed monthly
Virginia had about 170,200 civilian federal government employees, as of May 2026. This figure excludes Department of Defense workers, whose locations are redacted in Office of Personnel Management data. Federal jobs include work in a wide range of occupations, including roles as janitors, scientists, accountants, postal workers, elected officials, and many more. Federal jobs represent 4% of all nonfarm jobs in the state. That’s about 2 in 50. The state accounts for 6.3% of the 2.69 million federal jobs nationwide.
170.2K
jobs in the federal government (May 2026)
4%
federal government share of all nonfarm jobs (May 2026)
In May 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 May 2026, there were 170.2 thousand federal government jobs in Virginia.
Civilian federal government employees, January 2006 to May 2026
What share of all civilian jobs in Virginia are in the federal government?
In May 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.
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As of May 2026, 4% of jobs in Virginia were in the federal government.
Civilian federal government share of nonfarm employment, January 2006 to May 2026
Which federal agencies employ the most civilians?
In May 2026, there were 44,100 people in Virginia working in 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. The Department of Veterans Affairs accounted for 26.9% of the total, more than any other cabinet department or independent agency. In second position, Department of Homeland Security accounted for 17.8% of the state’s federal employees. The Department of Commerce was third accounting for 16.7%.
In May 2026, the Department of Veterans Affairs accounted for more federal workers in Virginia than any other agency.
Civilian federal personnel, primarily in executive branch and excluding the Department of Defense, as of May 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.
