These are the U.S. government agencies that pay their employees the most

The U.S. Federal Government employs about 3 million people and was the third largest employer in the country as of November 2024 according to USAFacts. Some agencies and their employees make a lot more than others. 

A December 5th article from Barron’s revealed that one federal agency paid an average salary of just under $248,000 based on the latest data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. However, some agencies paid their staff even more. 

Barron ranked the government agencies that pay the highest and lowest. What it found was that working for the federal government seems to be a very cushy gig. Median pay among federal employees is $99,000, higher than the private sector’s $63,000. 

However, while federal employees on the whole seem to be quite well paid, some earn a lot more than others. Let’s take a look at what Barron’s discovered and see where you might want to look for your next job. Here’s the list of highest-paying federal agencies. 

Median Salary: $183,656

Number of Employees: 5

Median Salary: $185,654

Number of Employees: 1,687

Median Salary: $191,595

Number of Employees: 114

Median Salary: $191,724

Number of Employees: 2

Median Salary: $191,900

Number of Employees: 7

Median Salary: $195,600

Number of Employees: 2

Median Salary: $198,819

Number of Employees: 813

Median Salary: $227,571

Number of Employees: 4,993

Median Salary: $242,124

Number of Employees: 10

Median Salary: $247,518

Number of Employees: 736

“A big reason why government workers as a whole earn more is because they are older, more likely to hold advanced degrees, and more likely to have professional jobs than those in the private workforce,” Barron’s explained. 

You might have noticed that many of the highest-paying federal agencies also have a rather small number of employees, this also holds true for some of the lowest-paying government groups. Let’s look at that list now.

Median Salary: $89,318

Number of Employees: 18

Median Salary: $89,092

Number of Employees: 486,522

Median Salary: $87,878

Number of Employees: 62,890

Median Salary: $80,006

Number of Employees: 7,925

Median Salary: $77,955

Number of Employees: 92,072

Median Salary: $76,778

Number of Employees: 108,869

Median Salary: $75,980

Number of Employees: 2,800

Median Salary: $70,061

Number of Employees: 256

Median Salary: $64,239

Number of Employees: 23

Median Salary: $60,465

Number of Employees: 306

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