What does the do?

Refreshed annually

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is a subdivision of the Department of Transportation responsible for ensuring the safe and secure movement of hazardous materials through the nation. It was established in 2005.

In FY 2025,

$187M

was spent by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
In FY 2025,

0.1%

of Dept. of Transportation spending was by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

How much does the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration spend?

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration spent a net total of $187 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 0.1% of the $127.6 billion spent by the Department of Transportation, which itself was 1.8% of all federal spending. The PHMSA ranked 8th 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 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration ranked 8th 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 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s federal spending has increased from $109.1 million in 2005 to $187 million in 2025.

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The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 2005.

Yearly federal net spending by PHMSA, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 2005–2025

Since 2005, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's spending has increased 71.3%, while overall spending has increased 71%.
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. PHMSA spending grew more than overall federal spending since 2005, which means that its share of the federal budget increased. In 2025, PHMSA accounted for 0.0027% 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 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 2005.

Net spending by PHMSA as a share of federal spending, FYs 2005–2025

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 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration transferred 64.7% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net PHMSA spending.

How did the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to PHMSA, FY 2025

How many people work for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration?

Some 550 of the 2.03 million total civilian federal employees work for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration as of May 2026. This is 28.2% more people than the division staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has increased 28.2% since 2012.

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

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration accounts for 0.027% 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 larger share of the overall federal workforce in May 2026 compared to 2012 (0.02%).
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 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s share of the workforce (0.027%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.0027%).

Who leads the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration?

The PHMSA is led by an administrator. This individual is appointed by the President of the United States and requires confirmation by the Senate. The administrator reports 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.