Federal Employment in Oregon

Oregon ranked 31st (out of 51) for federal employment per capita in 2009. With 30,000 federal jobs in 2009, Oregon would need an additional 5,240 to be an average state.

By Industry: Public administration is the largest industry group within federal government. It can include just about any agency, from the Internal Revenue Service to U.S. District Courts and intermittent Census workers.

There are also a large number of federal workers in trade, transportation, and utilities. Federal workers in this industry are part of the U.S. Postal Service and, in Oregon, the Bonneville Power Administration.

By Region: Federal employment in the Portland region reached about 15,400 jobs in 2009, representing just over half (52%) of Oregon's total.

Wages: Federal government pay came out on the top of all Oregon industries in 2009, averaging $63,185. Oregon's average wage for all ownerships in 2009 was considerably lower, at $40,742.

Want more? Check out the full article by regional economist Dallas Fridley (Dallas.W.Fridley@state.or.us 541-386-6065).