When people hear that question, they tend to think of giant companies, prefer Wal-Mart, general Electric and also McDonald’s. However the runaway leader isn’t a gigantic company. In fact, it’s not even a company.

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With approximately 2.7 million civilian employees, the U.S. Government is the largest employer in the country. For reference, Wal-Mart has 2.2 million employee worldwide. When this number reveals the enormity of the commonwealth government, it no tell the full story of whereby these 2.7 million human being work. After all, the U.S. Government consists of dozens of departments and agencies, each with distinct goals and also purposes.

That’s why the team in ~ InsideGov chose to take it a deeper look at employment in the U.S. Government. Making use of data indigenous the Office of Personnel Management, we discovered the 25 government departments and agencies that had the most employees in September 2013. Non-civilians, favor uniformed military personnel, space not contained in this figures.

It’s additionally important to keep in mind that these numbers only encompass federal personnel. The office of job Statistics approximates that with state and local government positions, the total number of government employees in the U.S. Jumps to over 21.8 million.

#25. Tennessee sink Authority

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 12,612 Government Branch: live independence Agencies

Unlike most of the organ on this list, the Tennessee valley Authority is a federally owned corporation the receives no taxpayer funding. It provides electrical power to the southeastern U.S.

#24. Department of Energy

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 15,213 Government Branch: executive Departments

With the increasing threat of global climate change, the department of power has increased its initiatives to construct renewable energy resources and promote energy effectiveness throughout the country.

#23. Congress

Worldwide employee (Sept. 2013): 16,432 Government Branch: legislative Branch

Including personnel in the home of Representatives and the Senate, conference employs end 16,000 people. This is the only organization native the legislative branch of government to make this list.

#22. Ecological Protection Agency

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 17,002 Government Branch: elevation Agencies

One the the newest organ on this list, the EPA was developed in 1970 by president Richard Nixon with the score of protecting human health and also the environment.

#21. Room of Labor

Worldwide employee (Sept. 2013): 17,187 Government Branch: executive Departments

As the agency responsible because that the welfare the the U.S. Workforce, the room of labor employs a fair number of people itself, through over 17,000 employees.

#20. Nationwide Aeronautics and an are Administration

Worldwide employee (Sept. 2013): 18,001 Government Branch: live independence Agencies

With its purposes of room exploration and uncovering the unknown facets of the universe, NASA employs several of the many brilliant psychic in the nation. The company hopes come send human beings to Mars in the 2030s.

#19. Corps that Engineers

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 23,230 Government Branch: executive, management Departments

The Corps of engineers has undertaken several of the many ambitious public works jobs in U.S. History, varying from the building and construction of the Panama Canal to the damming of the Columbia River.

#18. Defense Logistics Agency

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 24,331 Government Branch: executive Departments

As its name suggests, the Defense Logistics company provides logistics support for the U.S. Military. This requires a wide range of services, varying from the provision of important materials to sustainability programs.

#17. U.S. Courts

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 33,271 Government Branch: judicial Branch

The U.S. Federal court system employs end 33,000 people. This number does not incorporate employees that the can be fried Court.

#16. Department of State

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 41,768 Government Branch: executive Departments

With its goal of cultivating peace and democracy, the State department tackles a wide range of policy problems throughout the world.

#15. Department of Commerce

Worldwide employee (Sept. 2013): 45,035 Government Branch: executive Departments

The room of business was developed in 1903 with the score of producing jobs and promoting financial growth. In 2012, president Obama announced his intention to remove the department, yet Congress has not authorized the changes.

#14. Department of Transportation

Worldwide employee (Sept. 2013): 55,288 Government Branch: executive, management Departments

As the government repairs its aging highway infrastructure and also builds an ext efficient transit systems, safety on the department of transport is expected to rise sharply end the next few years.

#13. Social protection Administration

Worldwide employee (Sept. 2013): 62,549 Government Branch: independent Agencies

Remarkably, the society Security management employs approximately 5,000 more people than Google does worldwide.

#12. Room of the Interior

Worldwide employee (Sept. 2013): 71,543 Government Branch: executive, management Departments

Employees the the room of the internal are distributed throughout a selection of different bureaus and offices, including the nationwide Park Service and the bureau of Indian Affairs.

#11. Department of Health and Human Services

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 72,703 Government Branch: executive, management Departments

Although that doesn’t crack the optimal 10 in regards to employment, the department of Health and also Human Services has actually the largest budget plan of any U.S. Government agency.

#10. Various other Defense tasks (Excluding Defense Logistics Agency)

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 75,223 Government Branch: executive Departments

The room of Defense consists of multiple level of departments and agencies. Some of the defense agencies included in this category include the Defense Commissary firm and the Defense knowledge Agency.

#9. Department of Agriculture

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 95,223 Government Branch: executive, management Departments

President Abraham Lincoln produced the department of farming in 1862 and also later described the company as “The People’s Department.” The USDA heads efforts on food, agriculture and natural resource conservation.

#8. Department of the Treasury

Worldwide employee (Sept. 2013): 112,461 Government Branch: executive, management Departments

Besides providing inspiration because that Broadway hits, the room of the Treasury is responsible for controlling the government’s finances and also promoting financial growth.

#7. Department of Justice

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 115,616 Government Branch: executive Departments

The department of justice is tasked v enforcing the law and administering justice. This includes managing the substantial federal prison system in the U.S.

#6. Department of the waiting Force

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 169,440 Government Branch: executive Departments

The U.S. Air Force ended up being its very own branch that the army in 1847. In 2013, the Air force had virtually 170,000 civilian employees and approximately twice as many active duty personnel.

#5. Department of countryside Security

Worldwide employee (Sept. 2013): 192,073 Government Branch: executive Departments

Established in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the room of Homeland defense is responsible for protecting the U.S. Against terrorism and also other threats.

#4. Department of the Navy

Worldwide employee (Sept. 2013): 194,923 Government Branch: executive Departments

The department of the marine had approximately 6,000 civilian personnel external of the U.S. In 2013, make it one of the most globally expansive organ on this list.

#3. Department of the Army

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 264,906 Government Branch: executive, management Departments

The biggest branch that the room of Defense, the department of the army has end a 4 minutes 1 million civilian employees and more than a million soldiers in the consistent Army, the army National Guard and the army Reserve.

#2. Room of Veterans Affairs

Worldwide employees (Sept. 2013): 323,208 Government Branch: executive, management Departments

The room of Veterans to work employees an ext people than general Electric, which had actually 307,000 employees an international as the Dec. 2013. The VA offers benefits and also services come U.S. Veterans and also their families.

#1. U.S. Postal Service

Worldwide employee (Sept. 2013): 584,027 Government Branch: independent Agencies

Perhaps no federal federal government employee is as ubiquitous or recognizable together the letter carrier. V over 580,000 personnel, the U.S. Postal service employs an ext people than any other independent government agency, through the social Security management being a distant second.

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Federal employed staff by Department

The visualization mirrors the complete failure of federal employment by department. Through the exception of the Postal Service, the bulk of federal government employees work in executive departments.