What does the do?

Refreshed annually

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is a subdivision of the Department of Transportation responsible for the waterborne transportation system of the United States. It oversees the US merchant marine and supports national defense and economic needs. It was established in 1950.

In FY 2025,

$991M

was spent by the Maritime Administration
In FY 2025,

0.8%

of Dept. of Transportation spending was by the Maritime Administration

How much does the Maritime Administration spend?

The MARAD spent a net total of $991 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 0.8% of the $127.6 billion spent by the DOT, which itself was 1.8% of all federal spending. The MARAD ranked 6th among DOT subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Maritime Administration ranked 6th among Department of Transportation divisions in net spending in 2025.

DOT net spending by division, FY 2025

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Maritime Administration’s federal spending has decreased from $2.61 billion in 1980 to $991 million in 2025.

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The Maritime Administration’s federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by MARAD, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1980–2025

Since 1980, the Maritime Administration's spending has decreased 62%, while overall spending has increased 196.9%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. MARAD spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2025, MARAD accounted for 0.014% of overall federal spending.
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 Maritime Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by MARAD as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2025

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 2025, the Maritime Administration transferred 12.4% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net MARAD spending.

How did the Maritime Administration spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to MARAD, FY 2025

How many people work for the Maritime Administration?

Some 715 of the 2.03 million total civilian federal employees work for the Maritime Administration as of May 2026. This is 12.8% fewer people than the division staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Maritime Administration has decreased 12.8% since 2012.

Number of federal employees working for MARAD, May 2012–2026

The Maritime Administration accounts for 0.035% 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. The division constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in May 2026 compared to 2012 (0.039%).
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 Maritime Administration’s share of the workforce (0.035%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.014%).

Who leads the Maritime Administration?

The MARAD administrator is nominated by the president of the United States and requires confirmation by the Senate. They report to the Secretary of Transportation.

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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.