24/7 Wall St. Insights

• With nearly 2.6 million people on payroll, the Department of Defense is one of the largest employers in the world. 
• While DOD employees, including civilians and active-duty service members, are spread across the 50 states, a disproportionate share of defense workers are concentrated in a handful of Washington communities.
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The U.S. Department of Defense is the largest — and one of the best funded — agencies in the federal government. Headquartered at the Pentagon, the DOD employs nearly 2.6 million people and has an annual budget of more than $870 billion.

Thousands of Defense Department employees, including both civilians and active-duty service members, are stationed in each of the 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C. — and while the DOD’s nerve center may be on the East Coast, one state on the opposite side of the country has emerged as a hub for the U.S. military.

According to Defense Spending by State, a recent report from the DOD, approximately 105,000 national defense personnel were stationed in Washington State in fiscal 2023 — more than in all but half a dozen other states. The largest share of department employees in the state — 53.7% — are active-duty troops. An additional 30.5% are civilian employees, 8.5% are reservists, and 7.3% are members of the National Guard. (Here is a look at the states with the most armed forces personnel.)

The largest DOD service branches in the state by total employment, including civilians and reservists, are the Navy and Marine Corps, with a combined total of about 46,300 employees. The Army has another 42,700 personnel stationed in the state, and the Air and Space Forces have about 11,600 people on payroll. An additional 4,400 Washington residents work in other areas of defense.

Just as Washington stands out as a critical hub for the U.S. military, there are certain parts of the state where the DOD’s presence is especially concentrated. Due in part to major military installations in the state — including Joint Base Lewis–McChord and Fairchild Air Force Base — there are multiple counties in Washington that are each home to several thousand Defense Department employees. In one Washington county, the DOD has more personnel than in 24 entire states. In this single county, the DOD spent nearly $3.1 billion on payroll alone in fiscal 2023. (Here is a look at the newest American military bases.)

These are the eight counties in Washington State with the most military and civilian Defense Department personnel. All data in this story was compiled by the DOD and is current as of fiscal 2023. Counties for which personnel data was not disclosed were excluded from analysis.

Why It Matters

A significant share of the Pentagon’s budget goes to payroll for the 2.6 million American men and women who work for the national defense. In fiscal 2023 alone, the Department of Defense spent over $167.4 billion on employee salaries and wages. While this money is spread across the 50 states, it has an outsized impact in places that have emerged as hubs for U.S. military operations.

8. Clark County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 637 (0.6% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 21 (0.0% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 112 (1.5% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 409 (4.6% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 95 (0.3% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $21,732,035 (0.3% of DOD payroll statewide)

7. Yakima County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 1,021 (1.0% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 97 (0.2% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 453 (5.9% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 201 (2.3% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 270 (0.8% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $37,981,062 (0.5% of DOD payroll statewide)

6. King County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 2,315 (2.2% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 418 (0.7% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 929 (12.0% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 57 (0.6% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 911 (2.8% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $153,099,732 (2.0% of DOD payroll statewide)

5. Snohomish County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 2,871 (2.7% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 733 (1.3% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 324 (4.2% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 1,125 (12.6% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 689 (2.2% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $171,513,252 (2.2% of DOD payroll statewide)

4. Spokane County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 6,509 (6.2% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 3,479 (6.2% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 1,553 (20.1% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 553 (6.2% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 924 (2.9% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $375,413,870 (4.9% of DOD payroll statewide)

3. Island County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 8,505 (8.1% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 7,010 (12.4% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 0 (0% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 683 (7.7% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 812 (2.5% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $630,382,589 (8.2% of DOD payroll statewide)

2. Kitsap County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 25,167 (24.0% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 4,475 (7.9% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 150 (1.9% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 845 (9.5% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 19,697 (61.5% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $2,207,598,118 (28.8% of DOD payroll statewide)

1. Pierce County

• Total Defense Department personnel: 43,891 (41.8% of DOD personnel statewide)
• Active-duty personnel: 29,129 (51.7% of active-duty personnel statewide)
• National Guard personnel: 2,977 (38.6% of National Guard personnel statewide)
• Reservist personnel: 4,999 (56.2% of reservist personnel statewide)
• Civilian DOD personnel: 6,786 (21.2% of civilian personnel statewide)
• Total Defense Department payroll: $3,086,271,011 (40.3% of DOD payroll statewide)

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