As of 2024, approximately 2.3 million Americans are employed in civilian roles within the federal government, making up less than 2% of the total U.S. workforce.
These employees fill a wide range of roles, from medical professionals at Veterans Affairs hospitals and park rangers in national parks, to prison guards and specialists at the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board.
While many work in Washington, D.C., about 80% of federal workers are stationed outside the capital, according to MSN.
The federal workforce could face significant reductions under a new initiative proposed by President-elect Donald Trump.
The plan to establish a Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, aims to reduce government costs. Musk, who has previously suggested that more than half of government employees should be let go, is expected to play a central role in the restructuring.
A large portion of federal employees — roughly 70% — work in security or military-related agencies, with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) being the largest employer. The VA, which operates hundreds of hospitals and clinics, accounts for a significant portion of the civilian workforce.
The Department of Homeland Security, established in 2002, is the third largest employer. The smallest department is the U.S. Department of Education, with just 4,425 employees.
Excluding active-duty military personnel, reservists, and the Postal Service (which operates independently), the total federal civilian payroll is approximately $213 billion annually.
As of March 2024, the median salary for federal workers in the Department of Education was $118,000, the highest across departments, while the lowest median salary — below $60,000 — was found in the Treasury Department, which employs many clerical staff.
The largest group of federal employees works in the medical field, comprising about 15% of the workforce, with over 360,000 physicians, nurses, and public-health workers. Other major roles include administrative and clerical jobs (15%), engineering (6%), and accounting (5%).
Musk, known for drastic cost-cutting measures at Twitter (now X), has expressed a goal of reducing federal spending by at least $2 trillion — a significant portion of the federal government’s $6.8 trillion budget for fiscal year 2024.
