How many civilian federal government jobs are located in Washington, DC?
Refreshed monthly
Washington, DC had about 164,200 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 22.9% of all nonfarm jobs in the District That’s about 2 in 9. The District accounts for 6.1% of the 2.69 million federal jobs nationwide.
164.2K
jobs in the federal government (May 2026)
22.9%
of all jobs (May 2026)
In May 2026, 22.9% of workers in Washington, DC were employed by the federal government. The capital’s share of federal employment peaked in August 2010 at 29.9%. It hit a low in April 2026 at 22.8% of all employment.
As of May 2026, there were 164.2 thousand federal government jobs in Washington, DC.
Civilian federal government employees, January 2006 to May 2026
What share of all civilian jobs in Washington, DC are in the federal government?
In May 2026, 22.9% of workers in Washington, DC were employed by the federal government. The capital’s share of federal employment peaked in August 2010 at 29.9%. It hit a low in April 2026 at 22.8% of all employment.
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As of May 2026, 22.9% of jobs in Washington, DC were in the federal government.
Civilian federal government share of nonfarm employment, January 2006 to May 2026
Which federal agencies employ the most civilians?
Based on the latest data from the Office of Personnel Management as of May 2026, there were 96,600 people in Washington, DC working in the executive branch of the federal government. This is primarily limited to those working in the executive branch and excludes some employees, including postal workers and all Department of Defense employees, regardless of enlisted or civilian status. It includes full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers.The Department of Justice accounted for 13.8% of the total, more than any other cabinet department or independent agency. In second, Department of Homeland Security accounted for 13.6% of the state’s federal employees. The Department of State was third accounting for 7.6%.
In May 2026, the Department of Justice accounted for more federal workers in District of Columbia than any other agency.
Civilian federal personnel, primarily in executive branch and excluding the Department of Defense, as of May 2026
The May 2026 OPM data shows that Washington, DC outranks all states in federal employment, though the district’s share varies by federal agency. There were 15 cabinet departments or independent agencies employing more than 10,000 people nationwide. Of those, the Department of State had the highest share of employees working in Washington, DC at 64.4%. The Department of Veterans Affairs had the lowest at 1.4%
About 64.4% of Department of State employees were based in Washington, DC in May 2026.
Percentage of civilian employees based in Washington, DC (excluding Department of Defense)
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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.
