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All three branches of the U.S. government—legislative, judicial, and executive—are employers. Senators, representatives, and their staff work, mostly in Washington, D.C., for the legislative branch. The judicial branch employs workers in federal courts all over the country. However, the executive branch provides 96% of all federal jobs. Most of them are in the 15 executive cabinet departments that, from largest to smallest, are:
- Defense
- Veteran's Affairs
- Homeland Security
- Treasury
- Justice
- Agriculture
- Interior
- Health and Human Services
- Transportation
- Commerce
- State
- Labor
- Energy
- Housing and Urban Development
- Education
Additionally, these independent federal agencies employ large numbers of workers:
- Social Security Administration
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- General Services Administration
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
The makeup of jobs with the federal government is different from that of the national economy in general. The largest group of employees (33%) is professionals, often scientists. Not surprisingly, there are relatively few sales jobs. But management, business, and financial workers comprise 27% of all federal workers. They include:
- Legislators
- Heads of federal agencies or programs
- Middle managers
- Accountants and auditors
- Management analysts
- Purchasing agents
- Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents
The federal government is a model for other employers in terms of equal opportunity employment and prevention of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, and age. It is especially welcoming to military service veterans, people with disabilities, and U.S. citizens. Advancement is usually based on set career tracks and standardized pay levels called General Schedule (GS) "grades," although some departments are experimenting with more flexible performance-based systems. Employee benefits are comprehensive.
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Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-2007 Edition; Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.
