24/7 Wall St. Insights

• With more than 2.5 million people on payroll, the Department of Defense is the largest employer in the United States.
• The bulk of DOD employees are active-duty service members, who can be deployed to combat at any time.
• While these men and women are stationed across the country, the presence of several major bases in North Carolina has made the state a critical hub for American military operations.
• Also: Discover the next Nvidia

The Department of Defense is the single largest employer in the United States. There were nearly 2.6 million people on the DOD payroll in 2022, about half a million more than the global workforce of Walmart, the world’s largest private sector employer. While there are about 734,000 civilians on the Pentagon’s payroll, most DOD employees are active-duty troops, reservists, and National Guardsmen.

Across all branches of the U.S. military, there are over 1.1 million active-duty service members, as well as an additional 743,000 reserve troops and Guardsmen. Although it falls under purview of the Department of Homeland Security and not the DOD, the U.S. Coast Guard employs another 57,000 Americans. The backbone of American military power, these men and women are stationed across the country — but in certain states, the presence of military personnel is far more pronounced than in others. (Here is a look at the number of active-duty service members in each state.)

While multiple branches of the military have installations in North Carolina, the U.S. Marine Corps has an especially large footprint. The U.S. Marine Corps was first established in 1775, less than one year before the signing of the Declaration of Indepence. Though briefly dismantled after the Revolutionary War, the Corps was re-established in 1798. Today, the Marine Corps is a part of the Department of the Navy, and through its 145,500 active-duty troops, serves as an expeditionary and amphibious operation force.

Currently, North Carolina is home to more than one-in-every-four U.S. Marine Corps troops. According to data from the DOD’s 2022 Demographics Profile, there are about 38,800 active-duty Marines stationed in North Carolina, more than in every other state except California. Adjusting for population, there are about 36 Marines for every 10,000 North Carolina residents, compared to only 4.4 per 10,000 people nationwide.

North Carolina’s status as a hub for the U.S. Marine Corps is due in large part to the presence of several major installations. These include Camp Lejeune and Air Station New River in Jacksonville, as well as Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock. (Here is a look at the newest U.S. military bases.)

This is the number of active-duty and reserve troops, from each branch of the U.S. military, stationed in North Carolina.

Why It Matters

There are over 1.1 million active-duty troops and another 743,000 reservists and Guardsmen serving in the U.S. military. To maintain preparedness for a host of rising threats, these men and women are stationed at bases across the country. While the U.S. military has a footprint in every state in the country, the Marine Corps has an especially strong presence in North Carolina.

U.S. Army

• Active duty-troop count: 45,237 — 3rd most of 50 states (11.0% of all active-duty troops in service branch)
• Concentration of active-duty troops: 42.3 per 10,000 people — 7th highest of 50 states
• Reserve troop count: 6,171 — 8th most of 50 states (3.7% of all reserve troops in service branch)
• Concentration of reserve troops: 5.8 per 10,000 people — 18th highest of 50 states

U.S. Navy

• Active duty-troop count: 4,446 — 12th most of 50 states (1.5% of all active-duty troops in service branch)
• Concentration of active-duty troops: 4.2 per 10,000 people — 14th highest of 50 states
• Reserve troop count: 1,195 — 12th most of 50 states (2.2% of all reserve troops in service branch)
• Concentration of reserve troops: 1.1 per 10,000 people — 25th highest of 50 states

U.S. Marine Corps

• Active duty-troop count: 38,809 — 2nd most of 50 states (26.7% of all active-duty troops in service branch)
• Concentration of active-duty troops: 36.3 per 10,000 people — 2nd highest of 50 states
• Reserve troop count: 851 — 10th most of 50 states (3.1% of all reserve troops in service branch)
• Concentration of reserve troops: 0.8 per 10,000 people — 13th highest of 50 states

U.S. Air Force

• Active duty-troop count: 6,045 — 16th most of 50 states (2.3% of all active-duty troops in service branch)
• Concentration of active-duty troops: 5.7 per 10,000 people — 22nd lowest of 50 states
• Reserve troop count: 1,455 — 18th most of 50 states (2.2% of all reserve troops in service branch)
• Concentration of reserve troops: 1.4 per 10,000 people — 23rd lowest of 50 states

U.S. Space Force

• Active duty-troop count: 3 — 20th fewest of 50 states (>0.1% of all active-duty troops in service branch)
• Concentration of active-duty troops: >1 per 10,000 people — 12th lowest of 50 states
• Reserve troop count: N/A
• Concentration of reserve troops: N/A

Army National Guard

• Active duty-troop count: N/A
• Concentration of active-duty troops: N/A
• Reserve troop count: 9,066 — 15th most of 50 states (2.8% of all reserve troops in service branch)
• Concentration of reserve troops: 8.5 per 10,000 people — 14th lowest of 50 states

Air National Guard

• Active duty-troop count: N/A
• Concentration of active-duty troops: N/A
• Reserve troop count: 1,446 — 18th fewest of 50 states (1.4% of all reserve troops in service branch)
• Concentration of reserve troops: 1.4 per 10,000 people — 4th lowest of 50 states

U.S. Coast Guard

• Total Guardsman count: 232 — 8th most of 50 states (3.8% of all reserve troops in service branch)
• Concentration of reserve and active-duty Guardsman: 0.2 per 10,000 people — 15th highest of 50 states

U.S. Department of Defense Total

• Active duty-troop count: 94,540 — 4th most of 50 states (8.3% of all active-duty troops in service branch)
• Concentration of active-duty troops: 88.4 per 10,000 people — 5th highest of 50 states
• Reserve troop count: 20,416 — 10th most of 50 states (2.7% of all reserve troops in service branch)
• Concentration of reserve troops: 19.1 per 10,000 people — 9th lowest of 50 states

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.