Top 10 Federal Agencies With the Most Federal Employees

The following post explores the Top 10 Federal Agencies With the Most Federal Employees.

Interested in federal employment and wondering which government agencies have the largest workforces and potentially the greatest variety of career opportunities?

Read: Identifying Red Flags in Federal Job Announcements

Related: Top 10 US Cities for Federal Jobs (Outside Washington, DC)

The federal government employs millions of civilian workers. Understanding which federal agencies have the largest workforces can be useful when researching a federal career.

Here’s what you need to know.

Overview

The federal government is one of the largest employers in the United States, with civilian employees working for hundreds of agencies and organizations. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), more than 2 million federal civilian employees were serving as of July 2026. 

For this list, we are focusing on major federal agencies and departments based on their civilian workforce size. The individual military departments — Army, Navy, and Air Force — are excluded from the ranking so that the list remains focused on major civilian federal employers rather than military service branches. 

1. Department of Veterans Affairs

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest federal agency in this ranking, with approximately 445,351 civilian employees according to June 2026 workforce data. The VA provides healthcare, benefits, and other services to millions of veterans, making it one of the largest and most geographically distributed federal employers in the country.

A significant portion of the VA workforce is employed by the Veterans Health Administration, which operates VA medical centers, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities throughout the United States. Other major components include the Veterans Benefits Administration and the National Cemetery Administration.

Because of its size and broad mission, the VA employs people in an enormous variety of occupations. Opportunities include nurses, physicians, medical support personnel, social workers, human resources specialists, IT professionals, administrative employees, financial specialists, engineers, and many other occupations.

👉 View Federal Jobs with the Department of Veterans Affairs

2. Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one of the federal government’s largest employers, with approximately 225,568 civilian employees in June 2026. DHS coordinates a wide range of federal activities involving homeland security, immigration, border security, emergency management, transportation security, and related missions.

DHS includes major components such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the U.S. Secret Service.

DHS therefore offers career opportunities across many different fields. Job seekers may find positions in law enforcement, cybersecurity, emergency management, intelligence, aviation security, information technology, human resources, administration, contracting, and other professional occupations.

👉 View Federal Jobs with the Department of Homeland Security

3. Department of Justice

The Department of Justice (DOJ) employed approximately 107,082 civilian employees according to June 2026 workforce data. DOJ is responsible for enforcing federal laws and supporting the administration of justice throughout the United States.

The department includes major organizations such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service, and other law enforcement, legal, and justice-related components.

Although many people associate DOJ with attorneys and federal law enforcement, the department employs people in numerous other occupations. Opportunities can include information technology, cybersecurity, intelligence, human resources, finance, administration, forensic science, corrections, investigative work, and legal careers.

👉 View Federal Jobs with the Department of Justice

4. Department of the Treasury

The Department of the Treasury employed approximately 83,812 civilian employees in June 2026. Treasury is responsible for managing the nation’s finances and plays an important role in taxation, financial regulation, economic policy, and other financial activities.

One of Treasury’s largest components is the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which employs a substantial portion of the department’s workforce. Other Treasury organizations include the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, U.S. Mint, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Treasury offers career opportunities for accountants, auditors, economists, tax specialists, revenue agents, attorneys, financial analysts, IT professionals, cybersecurity specialists, investigators, human resources professionals, and administrative employees.

👉 View Federal Jobs with the Department of the Treasury

5. Department of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employed approximately 78,075 civilian employees in June 2026. USDA has a much broader mission than its name might suggest, with responsibilities involving agriculture, food safety, rural development, nutrition, forestry, conservation, and scientific research.

USDA operates through numerous agencies and offices, including the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Agricultural Research Service, and other organizations.

The department provides career opportunities in agriculture, forestry, environmental science, food safety, research, economics, finance, information technology, administration, engineering, and many other fields. Its large network of field offices and facilities also makes USDA a significant federal employer outside Washington, D.C.

👉 View Federal Jobs with the Department of Agriculture

6. Department of Health and Human Services

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employed approximately 72,919 civilian employees in June 2026. HHS is responsible for a broad range of programs involving public health, medical research, healthcare, human services, and disease prevention.

HHS includes well-known organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and other agencies and offices.

HHS offers opportunities for healthcare professionals, scientists, researchers, public health specialists, epidemiologists, IT professionals, statisticians, program analysts, financial specialists, administrative professionals, and many other occupations.

👉 View Federal Jobs with the Department of Health and Human Services

7. Department of Defense

The Department of Defense (DOD) employed approximately 70,493 civilian employees in the June 2026 agency-level workforce data. This figure represents the Department of Defense grouping separately from the individual military departments, which have been excluded from this article’s ranking.

DOD civilian employees support a wide range of missions involving national defense, administration, logistics, healthcare, research, technology, acquisition, and security. Civilian positions can be found at defense installations, research facilities, administrative offices, medical facilities, and other locations throughout the United States and overseas.

Importantly, you do not have to be a member of the military to work for the Department of Defense as a civilian employee. Civilian career opportunities can include information technology, cybersecurity, engineering, contracting, logistics, financial management, human resources, healthcare, program management, and administration.

👉 View Federal Jobs with the Department of Defense

8. Department of the Interior

The Department of the Interior (DOI) employed approximately 59,853 civilian employees in June 2026. Interior is responsible for managing and conserving many of the nation’s public lands and natural resources and plays an important role in areas such as wildlife, recreation, energy, water resources, and environmental conservation.

The department includes organizations such as the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Geological Survey, and Bureau of Reclamation.

Career opportunities within Interior can include park rangers, biologists, geologists, environmental scientists, engineers, land-management specialists, law enforcement officers, IT professionals, administrative specialists, and many other occupations. Because Interior manages public lands throughout the country, many of its jobs are located outside Washington, D.C.

👉 View Federal Jobs with the Department of the Interior

9. Department of Transportation

The Department of Transportation (DOT) employed approximately 52,923 civilian employees in June 2026. DOT oversees federal programs involving transportation safety, highways, aviation, railroads, transit, maritime transportation, and other aspects of the nation’s transportation infrastructure.

DOT includes organizations such as the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and other transportation-related agencies.

The department offers career opportunities in aviation, engineering, transportation safety, administration, information technology, program management, logistics, finance, and other professional fields. Many DOT employees work outside Washington, D.C., including at airports, regional offices, transportation facilities, and field locations.

👉 View Federal Jobs with the Department of Transportation

10. Social Security Administration

The Social Security Administration (SSA) employed approximately 49,439 civilian employees in June 2026. SSA administers Social Security programs and Supplemental Security Income and operates a large network of offices and facilities serving the public throughout the United States.

SSA’s large workforce reflects the scale and complexity of its mission. Employees work in field offices, processing centers, teleservice operations, headquarters, and other locations.

Career opportunities can include claims specialists, customer service representatives, program analysts, IT specialists, attorneys, human resources professionals, management analysts, financial specialists, and administrative employees. SSA can therefore be an interesting agency for job seekers who want a federal career without necessarily working in Washington, D.C.

👉 View Federal Jobs with the Social Security Administration

In Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope you find this post helpful for exploring the Top 10 Federal Agencies With the Most Federal Employees. Understanding the largest federal employers provides an excellent starting point for job seekers researching potential careers in government.

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