How many civilian federal government jobs are located in Washington, DC?
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About 189,100, as of May 2025. Federal jobs include work in a wide range of occupations, including roles such as janitors, scientists, accountants, postal workers, elected officials, and many more. While enlisted troops are considered to be employed by the government, they are not considered civilians, and thus are not included in this figure. Federal jobs represent 24.6% of jobs based in the state. That’s about one in every four. The state accounts for 6.4% of the 2.96 million federal jobs nationwide.
189.1K
jobs in the federal government (May 2025)
24.6%
federal government share of all nonfarm jobs (May 2025)
In May 2025, there were 189,100 jobs in the federal government based in Washington, DC, a decrease of 2.1% from the previous year. In November 2010 there was a peak of about 213,900 federal jobs in Washington, DC. Federal employment hit a low in Washington, DC in July 2023 at about 189,100.
As of May 2025, there were 189.1 thousand federal government jobs in Washington, DC.
Civilian federal government employees, January 2006 to May 2025
In May 2025, 24.6% 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 January 2020 at 24.3% of all employment.
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As of May 2025, 24.6% of jobs in the US were in the federal government.
Civilian federal government share of nonfarm employment, January 1939 to May 2025
Based on the latest data from the Office of Personnel Management as of September 2024, there were 162,500 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 enlisted military. It includes full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers. The Department of Homeland Security accounted for 16.8% of the total, more than any other cabinet department or independent agency. In second, the Department of Justice accounted for 13.3% of the state’s federal employees. The Department of Defense was third accounting for 10.9%.
In September 2024, the Department of Homeland Security accounted for more federal workers than any other agency.
Civilian federal personnel, primarily in executive branch, as of September 2024
The September 2024 OPM data shows that Washington, DC outranks all states in federal employment, though the district’s share varies by federal agency. There were 17 cabinet departments or independent agencies employing more than 10,000 people nationwide. Of those, the State Department had the highest share of employees working in Washington, DC at 72%. The Department of Veterans Affairs had the lowest at 1.5%.
About 72% of State Department employees were based in Washington, DC in September 2024.
Percentage of civilian employees based in Washington, DC
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
