Data / Rankings / Government payroll employment / US states

US states by government payroll employment

California had the highest government payroll employment of 51 states in May 2026, at 2,676,100 jobs. Vermont had the lowest, at 56,000 jobs. The median was 325,900 jobs and the figure for the United States was 23,333,000 jobs. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest2,676,100California
Lowest56,000Vermont
Median325,90051 states
United States23,333,000History

Map of states, May 2026

Alabama: 430,400 jobsAlaska: 77,200 jobsArizona: 426,100 jobsArkansas: 204,600 jobsCalifornia: 2,676,100 jobsColorado: 486,500 jobsConnecticut: 235,700 jobsDelaware: 72,100 jobsDistrict of Columbia: 207,100 jobsFlorida: 1,141,100 jobsGeorgia: 713,200 jobsHawaii: 125,300 jobsIdaho: 128,900 jobsIllinois: 855,800 jobsIndiana: 421,100 jobsIowa: 268,300 jobsKansas: 259,300 jobsKentucky: 316,500 jobsLouisiana: 325,900 jobsMaine: 103,200 jobsMaryland: 525,300 jobsMassachusetts: 476,900 jobsMichigan: 638,500 jobsMinnesota: 440,700 jobsMississippi: 236,600 jobsMissouri: 432,500 jobsMontana: 91,200 jobsNebraska: 178,700 jobsNevada: 184,000 jobsNew Hampshire: 85,900 jobsNew Jersey: 623,400 jobsNew Mexico: 193,100 jobsNew York: 1,524,400 jobsNorth Carolina: 779,400 jobsNorth Dakota: 87,000 jobsOhio: 790,400 jobsOklahoma: 371,200 jobsOregon: 313,000 jobsPennsylvania: 704,500 jobsRhode Island: 64,400 jobsSouth Carolina: 396,300 jobsSouth Dakota: 81,000 jobsTennessee: 455,000 jobsTexas: 2,132,800 jobsUtah: 277,100 jobsVermont: 56,000 jobsVirginia: 761,000 jobsWashington: 612,100 jobsWest Virginia: 155,600 jobsWisconsin: 410,400 jobsWyoming: 71,300 jobs
  • Under 100K
  • 100K to 210K
  • 210K to 330K
  • 330K to 450K
  • 450K to 710K
  • 710K and over
jobs, May 2026. Source: BLS, Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001). Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, May 2026

California: 2,676,100 jobsCalifornia2,676,100Texas: 2,132,800 jobsTexas2,132,800New York: 1,524,400 jobsNew York1,524,400Florida: 1,141,100 jobsFlorida1,141,100Illinois: 855,800 jobsIllinois855,800Ohio: 790,400 jobsOhio790,400North Carolina: 779,400 jobsNorth Carolina779,400Virginia: 761,000 jobsVirginia761,000Georgia: 713,200 jobsGeorgia713,200Pennsylvania: 704,500 jobsPennsylvania704,500Michigan: 638,500 jobsMichigan638,500New Jersey: 623,400 jobsNew Jersey623,400Washington: 612,100 jobsWashington612,100Maryland: 525,300 jobsMaryland525,300Colorado: 486,500 jobsColorado486,500Massachusetts: 476,900 jobsMassachusetts476,900Tennessee: 455,000 jobsTennessee455,000Minnesota: 440,700 jobsMinnesota440,700Missouri: 432,500 jobsMissouri432,500Alabama: 430,400 jobsAlabama430,400Arizona: 426,100 jobsArizona426,100Indiana: 421,100 jobsIndiana421,100Wisconsin: 410,400 jobsWisconsin410,400South Carolina: 396,300 jobsSouth Carolina396,300Oklahoma: 371,200 jobsOklahoma371,200Louisiana: 325,900 jobsLouisiana325,900Kentucky: 316,500 jobsKentucky316,500Oregon: 313,000 jobsOregon313,000Utah: 277,100 jobsUtah277,100Iowa: 268,300 jobsIowa268,300Kansas: 259,300 jobsKansas259,300Mississippi: 236,600 jobsMississippi236,600Connecticut: 235,700 jobsConnecticut235,700District of Columbia: 207,100 jobsDistrict of Columbia207,100Arkansas: 204,600 jobsArkansas204,600New Mexico: 193,100 jobsNew Mexico193,100Nevada: 184,000 jobsNevada184,000Nebraska: 178,700 jobsNebraska178,700West Virginia: 155,600 jobsWest Virginia155,600Idaho: 128,900 jobsIdaho128,900Hawaii: 125,300 jobsHawaii125,300Maine: 103,200 jobsMaine103,200Montana: 91,200 jobsMontana91,200North Dakota: 87,000 jobsNorth Dakota87,000New Hampshire: 85,900 jobsNew Hampshire85,900South Dakota: 81,000 jobsSouth Dakota81,000Alaska: 77,200 jobsAlaska77,200Delaware: 72,100 jobsDelaware72,100Wyoming: 71,300 jobsWyoming71,300Rhode Island: 64,400 jobsRhode Island64,400Vermont: 56,000 jobsVermont56,000California: 2,676,100 jobsCalifornia2,676,100Texas: 2,132,800 jobsTexas2,132,800New York: 1,524,400 jobsNew York1,524,400Florida: 1,141,100 jobsFlorida1,141,100Illinois: 855,800 jobsIllinois855,800Ohio: 790,400 jobsOhio790,400North Carolina: 779,400 jobsNorth Carolina779,400Virginia: 761,000 jobsVirginia761,000Georgia: 713,200 jobsGeorgia713,200Pennsylvania: 704,500 jobsPennsylvania704,500Michigan: 638,500 jobsMichigan638,500New Jersey: 623,400 jobsNew Jersey623,400Washington: 612,100 jobsWashington612,100Maryland: 525,300 jobsMaryland525,300Colorado: 486,500 jobsColorado486,500Massachusetts: 476,900 jobsMassachusetts476,900Tennessee: 455,000 jobsTennessee455,000Minnesota: 440,700 jobsMinnesota440,700Missouri: 432,500 jobsMissouri432,500Alabama: 430,400 jobsAlabama430,400Arizona: 426,100 jobsArizona426,100Indiana: 421,100 jobsIndiana421,100Wisconsin: 410,400 jobsWisconsin410,400South Carolina: 396,300 jobsSouth Carolina396,300Oklahoma: 371,200 jobsOklahoma371,200Louisiana: 325,900 jobsLouisiana325,900Kentucky: 316,500 jobsKentucky316,500Oregon: 313,000 jobsOregon313,000Utah: 277,100 jobsUtah277,100Iowa: 268,300 jobsIowa268,300Kansas: 259,300 jobsKansas259,300Mississippi: 236,600 jobsMississippi236,600Connecticut: 235,700 jobsConnecticut235,700District of Columbia: 207,100 jobsDistrict of Columbia207,100Arkansas: 204,600 jobsArkansas204,600New Mexico: 193,100 jobsNew Mexico193,100Nevada: 184,000 jobsNevada184,000Nebraska: 178,700 jobsNebraska178,700West Virginia: 155,600 jobsWest Virginia155,600Idaho: 128,900 jobsIdaho128,900Hawaii: 125,300 jobsHawaii125,300Maine: 103,200 jobsMaine103,200Montana: 91,200 jobsMontana91,200North Dakota: 87,000 jobsNorth Dakota87,000New Hampshire: 85,900 jobsNew Hampshire85,900South Dakota: 81,000 jobsSouth Dakota81,000Alaska: 77,200 jobsAlaska77,200Delaware: 72,100 jobsDelaware72,100Wyoming: 71,300 jobsWyoming71,300Rhode Island: 64,400 jobsRhode Island64,400Vermont: 56,000 jobsVermont56,000
jobs. Source: BLS, Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStatesMay 2026
jobs		Change on May 2025
1California2,676,100-1.1%
2Texas2,132,8000%
3New York1,524,400+0.6%
4Florida1,141,100-0.9%
5Illinois855,800+0.5%
6Ohio790,400-0.7%
7North Carolina779,400+0.9%
8Virginia761,000-0.4%
9Georgia713,200-0.5%
10Pennsylvania704,500-0.3%
11Michigan638,500+2%
12New Jersey623,400-0.5%
13Washington612,100-1%
14Maryland525,300-3%
15Colorado486,500-0.8%
16Massachusetts476,900+0.4%
17Tennessee455,000-0.4%
18Minnesota440,700+1.1%
19Missouri432,500-1.9%
20Alabama430,400+1.1%
21Arizona426,100-0.5%
22Indiana421,100-3.3%
23Wisconsin410,400-1.1%
24South Carolina396,300+0.7%
25Oklahoma371,200-0.5%
26Louisiana325,900+0.3%
27Kentucky316,500-0.5%
28Oregon313,000-1.2%
29Utah277,100-0%
30Iowa268,300-0.7%
31Kansas259,300+0.8%
32Mississippi236,600-0%
33Connecticut235,700-0.5%
34District of Columbia207,100-11.5%
35Arkansas204,600-1%
36New Mexico193,100+0.4%
37Nevada184,000-0.5%
38Nebraska178,700-0.6%
39West Virginia155,600+3.6%
40Idaho128,900-1%
41Hawaii125,300-1.3%
42Maine103,200+0.2%
43Montana91,200-1.1%
44North Dakota87,000+0.9%
45New Hampshire85,900-1.7%
46South Dakota81,000-1.1%
47Alaska77,200-3.1%
48Delaware72,100-0.1%
49Wyoming71,300-0.3%
50Rhode Island64,400-1.2%
51Vermont56,000+2%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of jobs on government payrolls in the month, seasonally adjusted, from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The supersector covers federal, state and local government, including public schools, public hospitals and the Postal Service; active-duty military personnel are excluded.

One of the eleven CES supersectors that make up nonfarm_payroll_employment. Counts jobs on nonfarm payrolls, not people: someone with two jobs counts twice. It covers full-time and part-time employees paid for any part of the pay period that includes the 12th of the month, and excludes the self-employed, farm workers, private household workers and unpaid family workers.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/sm/sm.data.76.Government.Current. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001) (US states by government payroll employment, 2026-05) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/sm/sm.data.76.Government.Current

MLA 9

Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001), US states by government payroll employment, 2026-05. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 18 Sept. 2026, https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/sm/sm.data.76.Government.Current. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-jobs/us-states?period=2026-05. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001). US states by government payroll employment, 2026-05. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/sm/sm.data.76.Government.Current. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-jobs/us-states?period=2026-05.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001), US states by government payroll employment, 2026-05 [Dataset]. Available at: https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/sm/sm.data.76.Government.Current, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-jobs/us-states?period=2026-05 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_government_2026,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001): US states by government payroll employment, 2026-05}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/sm/sm.data.76.Government.Current},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-jobs/us-states?period=2026-05. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/sm/sm.data.76.Government.Current. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001): US states by government payroll employment, 2026-05
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/18
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/sm/sm.data.76.Government.Current
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-jobs/us-states?period=2026-05
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/government-jobs/us-states?period=2026-05.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/sm/sm.data.76.Government.Current. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest government payroll employment?

California, with 2,676,100 jobs in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest government payroll employment?

Vermont, with 56,000 jobs in May 2026.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, State and Area: all employees, government, statewide, seasonally adjusted (SMS, state, 000009000000001). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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