Federal Agency Salaries 2026 — Pay by Agency
Compare civilian employment and pay benchmarks across 12 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)
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 9 of these 12 agencies; redaction-limited agencies use the government-wide benchmark instead of a misleading partial average.
$111K
Govt-wide avg salary
2076K
FTE across these 12 agencies
9/12
Verified agency salary averages
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 | Abbr. | Civilian FTE (FY2024) | Avg Salary | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | DoD | 775,900 | $111,181 Govt-wide benchmark | View → |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | VA | 460,400 | $114,105 OPM FedScope | View → |
| Department of Homeland Security | DHS | 212,400 | $111,181 Govt-wide benchmark | View → |
| Department of Justice | DOJ | 116,900 | $111,181 Govt-wide benchmark | View → |
| Department of the Treasury | Treasury | 106,700 | $91,277 OPM FedScope | View → |
| Department of Agriculture | USDA | 91,200 | $89,914 OPM FedScope | View → |
| Department of Health and Human Services | HHS | 84,800 | $134,737 OPM FedScope | View → |
| Department of the Interior | DOI | 64,300 | $95,799 OPM FedScope | View → |
| Social Security Administration | SSA | 58,500 | $103,248 OPM FedScope | View → |
| Department of Transportation | DOT | 55,700 | $142,720 OPM FedScope | View → |
| Department of State | State | 31,100 | $134,391 OPM FedScope | View → |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | NASA | 18,000 | $147,868 OPM FedScope | View → |
| Total (12 agencies) | 2,075,900 | |||
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:
Federal Pay Formula
Total Pay = Base Pay × (1 + Locality Rate)Example: GS-12 Step 5 base pay ($86,659) in Washington DC (33.94% locality) = $116,058 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 major agencies currently tracked by FedTools, NASA and the Department of Transportation show the highest verified agency-specific averages in the April 2026 OPM FedScope data. Regulatory and financial agencies such as the SEC can be higher, but those smaller agencies are not yet part of this first agency-page batch.
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.