How many employees work at US DoD?

US Department of Defense (District of Columbia) has approximately 1,473,511 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. US DoD’s total headcount has declined 7.7% from 1,597,189 employees in 2023 to 1,473,511 in 2026.

Data source: Revelio LabsCoverage: Global workforce, 20232026Published August 2026

Is US DoD hiring right now?

Yes, US DoD is actively hiring. US DoD had 14,719 active job postings in 2026, a 65.1% decline from 2025 see job openings & hiring trends.

About US DoD’s Workforce

US Department of Defense (District of Columbia) is an Aerospace and Defense company that employs 1,473,511 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1947, the company is headquartered in Washington, Washington, D.C..

US DoD's workforce has declined 7.7% from 2023 to 2026, down 1.9% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 1,473,511 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (91.4%), followed by East Asia (2.7%) and Western Europe (2.1%).

US DoD's functional groups are Finance and Operations (51.9%), Engineering (25.7%), and Sales and Marketing (22.4%). The average salary is $76,233, ranging from a median of $69,000 in North America to $8,000 in South Asia.

US DoD's active job postings fell 65.1% in 2026 to 14,719, with new postings per month cooling from 44,935 in 2023 to 13,341 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.

Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.

Headquarters
Washington, Washington, D.C.
Founded
1947
Industry
Aerospace and Defense
Employees
1,473,511
YoY
-1.9% (-45,504)

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US DoD Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)

Interactive chart of US DoD annual worldwide employee count from 2023 to 2026.
  • US DoD had 1,473,511 employees in 2026, a 1.9% decline (-45,504) from 2025.
  • US DoD had 1,481,158 employees in 2025, a 2.0% decline (-50,024) from 2024.
  • US DoD had 1,531,182 employees in 2024, a 1.9% decline (-38,806) from 2023.
  • US DoD had 1,569,988 employees in 2023, a 2.1% decline (-51,036) from 2022.

US DoD's total workforce has declined from 1,597,189 employees in 2023 to 1,473,511 in 2026.

US Department of Defense (District of Columbia) quarterly employee count

YearQtrEmployeesYoY ChangeYoY %
2026Q11,473,511-45,504-1.9%
2025Q41,481,158-50,024-2.0%
2025Q31,490,773-49,475-2.1%
2025Q21,507,115-44,750-2.0%
2025Q11,519,015-39,727-1.9%
2024Q41,531,182-38,806-1.9%
2024Q31,540,248-41,777-2.0%
2024Q21,551,865-45,324-2.1%
2024Q11,558,742-48,498-2.1%
2023Q41,569,988-51,036-2.1%
2023Q31,582,025-53,786-2.1%
2023Q21,597,189-57,867-2.2%

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US DoD Employee Count by Region (2026)

North America accounts for the largest share of US DoD's global workforce with approximately 91% of total employees, followed by East Asia and Western Europe.

US DoD employees by region

RegionEmployees% of Total
North America1,334,80291.4%
East Asia39,7582.7%
Western Europe30,1882.1%
South Asia11,3530.8%
Central America and the Caribbean7,5490.5%
Northern Europe7,4780.5%
Southern Europe6,6820.5%
Sub-Saharan Africa6,5570.4%
Arab States4,7090.3%
Pacific Islands4,1090.3%

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US DoD Employee Count by Department (2026)

US DoD's employee groups are Finance and Operations (51.9%), Engineering (25.7%), and Sales and Marketing (22.4%).

US DoD employees by department

DepartmentEmployees% of Total
Finance and Operations738,04051.9%
Engineering365,57225.7%
Sales and Marketing318,99622.4%

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US DoD Employee Salary by Region (2026)

US DoD's average employee salary is $76,233 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $8,000.

US DoD median employee salary by region (USD)

RegionMedian Salary
North America$69,000
Western Europe$56,000
Northern Europe$52,000
Pacific Islands$50,000
Central America and the Caribbean$36,000
Southern Europe$36,000
East Asia$33,000
Arab States$32,000
Eastern Europe$24,000
Central and Western Asia$22,000
South America$17,000
Southeast Asia$12,000
North Africa$11,000
Sub-Saharan Africa$11,000
South Asia$8,000

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US DoD Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)

Interactive chart of US DoD annual active job postings from 2023 to 2026.
  • US DoD had 14,719 active job postings in 2026, a 65.1% decline (+1,006) from 2025.
  • US DoD had 13,713 active job postings in 2025, a 26.6% decline (-4,212) from 2024.
  • US DoD had 17,925 active job postings in 2024, a 1.0% decline (-179) from 2023.
  • US DoD had 18,104 active job postings in 2023, a 4.8% increase from 2022.
  • Hiring velocity in 2026: 13,341 new roles/month, down from 25,929 in 2025 and 29,150 in 2024.

US DoD's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 65.1% in 2026 to 14,719, with new postings per month cooling from 44,935 in 2023 to 13,341 in 2026.

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US DoD Employee Sentiment (2026)

Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across US DoD's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has improved year over year in 2026.

Overall

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Frequently Asked Questions About US DoD

How fast is US DoD growing?
In 2026, US DoD's headcount shrank 1.9% to 1,473,511 employees, down from 1,519,015 in 2025.
See the full headcount history
Where are US DoD employees located?
Most US DoD employees are based in North America (91.4% of headcount), followed by East Asia and Western Europe.
Explore where the workforce is based
What is the average salary at US DoD?
The average employee salary at US DoD is approximately $76.2k per year.
Analyze the salary distribution
How many new job postings does US DoD open per year?
In Q1 2026, US DoD opened 40,023 new job postings. In 2025, US DoD opened 311,147 new job postings — about 25,929 per month.
Track hiring trends by role
When was US DoD founded and where is it headquartered?
US DoD was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Washington, Washington, D.C..
Compare US DoD to industry peers

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