What does the do?

Updated annually

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent federal agency responsible for protecting investors, maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation. The SEC oversees securities exchanges, securities brokers and dealers, investment advisors, and mutual funds. It enforces the statutory requirement that public companies and other regulated entities submit quarterly and annual reports, as well as other periodic disclosures. The SEC was established in 1934 following the stock market crash of 1929 to restore investor confidence in the securities markets.

In FY 2024,

$730M

was spent by the Securities and Exchange Commission
In FY 2024,

<0.1%

of federal spending was by the Securities and Exchange Commission

How much does the Securities and Exchange Commission spend?

The Securities and Exchange Commission spent $729.9 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.011% of the $6.78 trillion in overall federal spending. The department ranked 41st among federal agencies in total spending.

The Securities and Exchange Commission accounted for <0.1% of all federal spending in FY 2024.

Share of SEC 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 Securities and Exchange Commission’s federal spending has increased from $288.8 million in 1980 to $729.9 million in 2024.

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

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

Since 1980, the Securities and Exchange Commission's spending has increased 152.8%, 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, SEC accounted for 0.011% of all federal spending. That’s 0.0097 percentage points higher than 2014 and 0.0017 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 Securities and Exchange Commission's share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to SEC, 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, all of the Securities and Exchange Commission's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net SEC spending.

How did the Securities and Exchange Commission spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to SEC, FY 2024

How many people work for the Securities and Exchange Commission?

Some 4,905 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Securities and Exchange Commission as of September 2024. This is 25.2% more people than the agency staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Securities and Exchange Commission has increased 25.2% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for , September 2010–2024

Securities and Exchange Commission accounts for 0.2% 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. Securities and Exchange Commission constituted a similar share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 than in 2010 (0.2%).
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 Securities and Exchange Commission’s share of the workforce (0.2%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.011%).

Who leads the Securities and Exchange Commission?

The SEC is led by a Chair. The Chair is nominated by the President and requires Senate confirmation. The Chair, along with four other Commissioners, serves a staggered five-year term. The President designates one of the Commissioners as the Chair, who acts as the agency's chief executive. The Commissioners' terms are staggered so that one Commissioner's term ends on June 5 of each year.

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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.

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.