Federal Agency Salaries 2026 — Pay by Agency
Compare civilian employment and pay benchmarks across 53 major federal agencies. Data sourced from OMB and OPM official publications.
FTE Source: OMB Analytical Perspectives FY2027, Table 5-1 (2024 Actual) • Salary benchmark: OPM FWD, April 2026
Average Federal Salary by Agency (2026)
Government-wide average and coverage metrics from OMB and OPM official publications.
The government-wide average federal civilian salary is $111,181/year as of 2026 (OPM Federal Workforce Data portal (data.opm.gov), April 2026). This covers base pay + locality pay for all ~2 million federal civilians. FedTools now shows verified agency-specific averages for 40 of these 53 agencies; redaction-limited agencies use the government-wide benchmark instead of a misleading partial average.
Major Federal Agency Employment Table (FY2024)
Sorted by civilian FTE (largest first). Click any agency to see pay details, top occupations, and calculator links.
Agency-specific averages use OPM EHRI Employment Snapshot records when redaction is low enough to be representative. Redaction-limited agencies show the government-wide benchmark instead of a misleading partial average. View agency salary data on OPM FedScope →
How Federal Pay Works
Most federal civilian employees are paid under the General Schedule (GS), which has 15 grades (GS-1 through GS-15) and 10 steps per grade. Your total pay has two components:
Total Pay = Base Pay x (1 + Locality Rate)Example: GS-12 Step 5 base pay ($86,659) in Washington DC (33.94% locality) = $116,071 total salary.
The 2026 government-wide average of $111,181 (OPM) reflects the mix of all grades, steps, and locality areas across roughly 2 million federal civilians. Individual agency averages differ based on workforce composition — an agency staffed primarily with GS-13 to GS-15 scientists or attorneys will have a much higher average than one with many GS-5 to GS-9 service or support roles.
Beyond salary, federal employees receive significant total compensation: FERS pension (1–1.1% × salary × years), TSP with agency match up to 5%, FEHB health insurance (government pays ~70% of premium), and FEGLI life insurance.
Find Your Exact Federal Salary
The government-wide average is a benchmark. Your actual salary depends on your GS grade, step, and duty station. Our free calculator uses OPM's official 2026 tables.
Federal Agency Salaries — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average federal salary in 2026?
The government-wide average federal civilian salary is $111,181 per year as of April 2026, according to the OPM Federal Workforce Data portal. This includes base pay and locality pay but excludes benefits such as FERS pension, health insurance, and TSP contributions.
Which federal agency pays the most?
Among the 37 agencies tracked by FedTools, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shows the highest verified average at $240,394, followed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) at $252,590 and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) at $209,779. These agencies use special non-GS pay plans that allow salaries above the standard GS cap of $197,200. For mainstream GS-scale agencies, NASA ($147,868), the Department of Transportation ($142,720), and HHS ($134,737) lead. All figures are from OPM FedScope, April 2026.
How do I find my exact federal salary?
Your federal salary = Base Pay (by GS grade and step) × (1 + Locality Rate). Use our free GS Pay Calculator — select your grade, step, and duty station — for an instant, OPM-verified result.
What is FTE and how does it differ from headcount?
FTE (full-time equivalent) counts part-time employees as fractions of a full position. For example, two half-time employees = 1 FTE. Headcount counts every employee once. The OMB Table 5-1 figures on this page are FTE. Actual headcount is typically 5–10% higher.
Where can I find agency-specific average salaries?
The authoritative source is OPM FedScope at fedscope.opm.gov, which publishes quarterly employment and compensation data by agency, occupation, grade, and location. FedTools displays verified agency-specific averages where the public records are representative, and falls back to the government-wide benchmark when redaction makes an agency average unreliable.
Data Accuracy Notice: FTE figures are from the OMB Analytical Perspectives FY2027 Budget (Table 5-1, 2024 Actual), a U.S. government official publication. The government-wide average salary ($111,181) is from OPM's Federal Workforce Data portal (April 2026). Agency-specific average salaries are from the OPM EHRI Employment Snapshot where public records are representative; otherwise FedTools shows the government-wide benchmark. FedTools does not fabricate, estimate, or adjust official government figures.