Data updated April 3, 2025

What does the Small Business Administration do?

Updates published annually

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent executive agency responsible for supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in their business ventures. Its functions include providing small businesses access to capital, offering free or low-cost counseling and training, working with other government agencies to contract small businesses, and advocating on behalf of the small business sector in front of Congress. It was established in 1953.

In FY 2024,

$33.2B

was spent by the Small Business Administration

In FY 2024,

0.5%

of federal spending was by the Small Business Administration

How much does the Small Business Administration spend?

The Small Business Administration spent $33.2 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.5% of the $6.78 trillion in overall federal spending. The department ranked 17th among federal agencies in total spending.

The Small Business Administration accounted for 0.5% of all federal spending in FY 2024.

Share of SBA 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 Small Business Administration’s federal spending has increased from $7.89 billion in 1980 to $33.2 billion in 2024.

The Small Business Administration’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

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

Since 1980, Small Business Administration's spending has increased 320.8%, 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, SBA accounted for 0.5% of all federal spending. That’s 0.5 percentage points higher than 2014 and 0.1 percentage 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 Small Business Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to SBA, 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 Small Business Administration's spending was direct.

The chart below outlines all SBA spending.

How did the Small Business Administration spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to SBA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Small Business Administration?

Some 8,000 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Small Business Administration as of September 2024. This is 94.7% more people than the agency staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Small Business Administration has increased 94.7% since 2010.

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

SBA accounts for 0.3% 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. SBA constituted a larger 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 Small Business Administration's share of the workforce (0.3%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.5%).

Who leads the Small Business Administration?

The SBA is led by an administrator, a position appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. They oversee the agency’s programs, initiatives, and the execution of its mission to support small businesses. SBA also has 10 regional offices, each with its own administrator.

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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