What does the Environmental Protection Agency do?

Updates published annually

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive branch agency responsible for safeguarding human health and protecting the environment by ensuring that people in the US have access to clean air, land, and water. Its functions include developing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress, providing grants to support environmental programs and projects, researches environmental issues, and fostering partnerships with businesses, nonprofits, and state and local governments. It was established in 1970.

In FY 2024,

$13.7B

was spent by the Environmental Protection Agency

In FY 2024,

0.2%

of federal spending was by the Environmental Protection Agency

How much does the Environmental Protection Agency spend?

The Environmental Protection Agency spent $13.7 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.2% of the $6.78 trillion in overall federal spending. The department ranked 23rd among federal agencies in total spending.

The Environmental Protection Agency accounted for 0.2% of all federal spending in FY 2024.

Share of EPA net spending compared to the top ten highest spending agencies in FY 2024

Federal spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Environmental Protection Agency’s federal spending has decreased from $21.8 billion in 1980 to $13.7 billion in 2024.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by EPA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Environmental Protection Agency's spending has decreased 37.2%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.

The department’s spending grew less than overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, EPA accounted for 0.2% of all federal spending. That’s 0.064 percentage points lower than 2014 and 0.7 points lower than in 1980.

Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to EPA, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.

In FY 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency transferred 56.6% of its total spending to states and local governments.

The chart below outlines all EPA spending.

How did the Environmental Protection Agency spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to EPA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Environmental Protection Agency?

Some 17,000 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Environmental Protection Agency as of September 2024. This is 10.2% fewer people than the agency staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Environmental Protection Agency has decreased 10.2% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for EPA, September 2010–2024

EPA accounts for 0.7% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. EPA constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 than in 2010 (0.9%).

While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Environmental Protection Agency’s share of the workforce (0.7%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.2%).

Who leads the Environmental Protection Agency?

The EPA is led by an administrator. The administrator is nominated by the president and must be confirmed by a Senate vote. Their term usually lasts for the duration of the president's administration but may end sooner if the administrator resigns or is replaced.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

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.

Office of Personnel Management
FedScope
Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury
Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement