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What does the do?

Updates published annually

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a subdivision of the Department of the Interior responsible for studying the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The agency conducts research, collects data, and provides scientific information to help understand and manage the nation's water, energy, mineral, and biological resources. It also monitors and reports on earthquakes, volcanoes, and other geological phenomena. It was established in 1879.

In FY 2024,

$1.56B

was spent by the US Geological Survey
In FY 2024,

9.1%

of Dept. of the Interior spending was by the US Geological Survey

How much does the United States Geological Survey spend?

The US Geological Survey spent a net total of $1.56 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 9.1% of the $17.1 billion spent by the Department of the Interior, which itself was 0.3% of all federal spending. The USGS ranked 6th among DOI 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 US Geological Survey ranked 6th among Department of the Interior divisions in net spending in 2024.

DOI net spending by division, FY 2024

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 US Geological Survey’s federal spending has decreased from $2.43 billion in 1980 to $1.56 billion in 2024.

The US Geological Survey’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

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

Since 1980, the Department of the Interior's US Geological Survey spending has decreased 35.9%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.
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. USGS spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, USGS accounted for 0.023% of overall federal spending.

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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 US Geological Survey’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by USGS as a share of federal spending, 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, the US Geological Survey transferred 0.7% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net USGS spending.

How did the US Geological Survey spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to USGS, FY 2024

How many people work for the United States Geological Survey?

Some 8,417 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the US Geological Survey as of September 2024. This is 9% fewer people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the US Geological Survey has decreased 9% since 2010.

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

The US Geological Survey accounts for 0.4% 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 similar share of the overall federal workforce in 2024 compared to 2010 (0.4%).
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 US Geological Survey's share of the workforce (0.4%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.023%).

Who leads the United States Geological Survey?

The USGS is led by a director. This individual is nominated by the president of the United States and requires Senate confirmation. The USGS director reports to the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the Department of the Interior.

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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.

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