What does the do?

Refreshed annually

The Program Support Center (PSC) is a subdivision of the US Department of Health and Human Services responsible for providing a wide range of administrative and operational support services to various components of the department and other federal agencies. These services include financial management, human resources, procurement, and other essential functions that help ensure the efficient operation of government programs. The PSC aims to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of government operations through shared services and innovative solutions. It was established in 1995.

In FY 2024,

-$156M

in net spending was recorded by the Program Support Center
In FY 2025,

<0.1%

of Dept. of Health and Human Services spending was by the Program Support Center

How much does the Program Support Center spend?

The Program Support Center spent a net total of $869 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 0.046% of the $1.88 trillion spent by the Department of Health and Human Services, which itself was 26.8% of all federal spending. The PSC ranked 11th among HHS 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 Program Support Center ranked 11th among Department of Health and Human Services divisions in net spending in 2025.

HHS 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 Program Support Center’s federal spending has increased from $439.6 million in 1995 to $869 million in 2025.

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The Program Support Center’s federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1995.

Yearly federal net spending by PSC, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1995–2025

Since 1995, Program Support Center's spending has increased 97.7%, while overall spending has increased 117.6%.
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. PSC spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1995, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2025, PSC accounted for 0.012% 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 Program Support Center’s share of federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1995.

Net spending by PSC as a share of federal spending, FYs 1995–2025

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, all of the Program Support Center's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net PSC spending.

How did the Program Support Center spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to PSC, FY 2025

How many people work for the Program Support Center?

Some 268 of the 2.03 million total civilian federal employees work for the Program Support Center as of May 2026. This is 63.6% fewer people than the division staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Program Support Center has decreased 63.6% since 2012.

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

The Program Support Center accounts for 0.013% 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 (0.035%).
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 Program Support Center’s share of the workforce (0.013%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.012%).

Who leads the Program Support Center?

PSC is led by a director, who reports to the Assistant Secretary for Administration within Health and Human Services.

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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.