Agencies at the Top

For the 12th year in a row, NASA has achieved the number one Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® ranking among large federal agencies, posting a 2023 engagement and satisfaction score of 82.5 out of 100. The Department of Health and Human Services ranks second with a score of 75.2 followed by the Intelligence Community at 72.6.  

In the midsize category, the Government Accountability Office maintains its first-place ranking with a score of 87.2. The General Services Administration is next with a score of 84.5, while the Securities and Exchange Commission ranks third with a score of 82.9.   

The top-ranked small agency, with a score of 93.6, is the National Indian Gaming Commission, which is participating in the rankings for the first time. In second place is the National Endowment for the Humanities at 90.5. In third place is the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation at 88.1.  

The Office of Negotiations and Restructuring, within the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, ranks first out of 459 agency subcomponents with a score of 96.7. It is followed by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, within the Department of Defense, with a score of 92. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation ranks a close third place at 91.7.  

All these federal agencies far exceed the 2023 government-wide Best Places to Work employee engagement and satisfaction score of 65.7 out of 100.

See the full rankings

Large Agencies	Engagement and Satisfaction Score
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	82.5
Department of Health and Human Services	75.2
Intelligence Community	72.6

Midsize Agencies	Engagement and Satisfaction Score
Government Accountability Office	87.2
General Services Administration	84.5
Securities and Exchange Commission	82.9

Small Agencies	Engagement and Satisfaction Score
National Indian Gaming Commission	93.6
National Endowment for the Humanities	90.5
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation	88.1

The Most Improved Agencies

The Department of Homeland Security is the most improved large agency, increasing its Best Places to Work score by 5.9 points to 60.8. In the midsize category, the Federal Trade Commission has jumped 8.1 points to 75.4, while, in the small agency category, the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s score has risen 9.8 points to 73. Among the agency subcomponents, the Department of Defense’s Defense Technical Information Center’s score has increased by 22.9 points for a Best Places to Work score of 66.1. 

Agency Name	Engagement and Satisfaction Score
	2023	2022
Large Agency: Department of Homeland Security	60.8	54.9
Midsize Agency: Federal Trade Commission	75.4	67.3
Small Agency: Consumer Product Safety Commission	73.0	63.2
Subcomponent Agency: Department of Defense, Defense Technical Information Center	66.1	43.2

Agencies at the Bottom

The Social Security Administration remains in last place with a 2023 Best Places to Work score of 52.1. The Department of Justice is 16th with a score of 57.5, while the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State are tied for 14th place with a score of 60.8.  

In the midsize agency category, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency is last among 26 agencies, with a score of 57.7. Just above last place is the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation with 62 points, and the U.S. Agency for International Development is third to last with a score of 62.7. 

The Export-Import Bank is last among 30 small agencies in 2023 with a score of 40.6. The Federal Election Commission is at 55.1, and the Merit Systems Protection Board is at 55.6. 

Among this year’s 459 agency subcomponents, the Federal Bureau of Prisons in the Department of Justice is last with a score of 38.1. Just above it is the Office of the Chief Operating Officer at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, with 39 points, and the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office in the Department of Homeland Security, with 46.5 points.

See the full rankings

Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) | Creative Commons license

Large Agencies	Engagement and Satisfaction Score
Department of State	60.8
Department of Homeland Security	60.8
Department of Justice	57.5
Social Security Administration	52.1

Midsize Agencies	Engagement and Satisfaction Score
U.S. Agency for International Development	62.7
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	62.0
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency	57.7

Small Agencies	Engagement and Satisfaction Score
Merit Systems Protection Board	55.6
Federal Election Commission	55.1
Export-Import Bank of the United States	40.6