What does the Federal Communications Commission do?

Updates published annually

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent federal agency responsible for regulating communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. It oversees competition and innovation in the communications industry, manages the radio spectrum, and sets rules to support emerging technologies. The FCC also helps protect the nation’s communications infrastructure. It was established in 1934.

In FY 2024,

$17.8B

was spent by the Federal Communications Commission

In FY 2024,

0.3%

of federal spending was by the Federal Communications Commission

How much does the Federal Communications Commission spend?

The Federal Communications Commission spent $17.8 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.3% of the $6.78 trillion in overall federal spending. The department ranked 20th among federal agencies in total spending.

The Federal Communications Commission accounted for 0.3% of all federal spending in FY 2024.

Share of FCC 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 Federal Communications Commission’s federal spending has increased from $295.3 million in 1980 to $17.8 billion in 2024.

The Federal Communications Commission’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

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

Since 1980, the Federal Communications Commission's spending has increased 5,935.1%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.

The department’s spending grew more than overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget increased. In 2024, FCC accounted for 0.3% of all federal spending. That’s 0.0019 percentage points higher than 2014 and 0.3 points higher 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 Federal Communications Commission’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to FCC, 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 Federal Communications Commission transferred 14.7% of its total spending to states and local governments.

The chart below outlines all FCC spending.

How did the Federal Communications Commission spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to FCC, FY 2024

How many people work for the Federal Communications Commission?

Some 2,000 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Federal Communications Commission as of September 2024. This is 17.5% fewer people than the department staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Federal Communications Commission has decreased 17.5% since 2010.

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

FCC accounts for 0.066% 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. FCC constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 than in 2010 (0.088%).

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 Federal Communications Commission's share of the workforce (0.066%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.3%).

Who leads the Federal Communications Commission?

The FCC is led by a Chairman, who is appointed by the president from among the five commissioners and confirmed by the Senate. Commissioners serve staggered five-year terms, but the Chairman serves at the president’s discretion and may be replaced at any time.

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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