Annual List of Best Places to Work in Federal Government Released, Familiar Names on Top

Is your agency considered a top workplace? Well, it’s time to find out as the 2023 Best Place to Work in the Federal Government list is released.   

The annual list is a collaboration between the Partnership for Public Service, Boston Consulting Group, and the Washington Post.

The list is compiled using employee engagement and satisfaction scores from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS).

“The top-ranked agencies have excelled at keeping their workforces engaged and motivated and, as a result, they are well positioned to deliver results for the public,” said Partnership President and CEO Max Stier. “The public deserves great government, and Best Places offers a road map for how to get there.”

The best agencies to work for are categorized into large, medium, small, and subcomponent agencies. While the list featured some surprises, many of the regular top-performers maintained their positions. 

NASA Again Tops the Large Agency List

For the 12th consecutive year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was ranked the best large agency (15,000 or more employees) to work for.

“Through space exploration, advances in aviation, groundbreaking science, new technologies, and more, the team of wizards at NASA do what is hard to achieve what is great. That’s the pioneer spirit that makes NASA the best place to work in the federal government,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a press release.

However, NASA’s engagement and satisfaction score dipped slightly from 2022. 

Second was the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which has been in the top five every year since 2016.

Rounding out the top five are the Intelligence Community, Commerce Department, and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA saw the biggest improvement in engagement and satisfaction scores among the large agencies.

Four in a Row for GAO

For midsize agencies (defined as 1,000-14,999 employees), the Government Accountability Office (GAO) earned top billing for the fourth straight year.

“The contributions from each member of our diverse, multi-disciplinary, and dedicated workforce allow GAO to continue improving government and fulfilling our critical mission of government oversight for Congress and the American people,” said Comptroller General Gene Dodaro.  

GAO’s overall score dipped slightly from the prior year.

Second is the General Services Administration (GSA) followed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Rounding out the top five are the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  

One of the biggest gainers was the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which jumped from 20th in 2022 to 9th in 2023. 

Winning Hand for National Indian Gaming Commission

For small agencies (defined as 100-1,000 employees), the National Indian Gaming Commission took the top spot. It’s the first appearance for the casino regulator in the top ten.

The National Endowment for the Humanities, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the Office of Special Counsel, and the Farm Credit Administration rounded out the top five.

Subcomponents

The top subcomponent was the Office of Negotiations and Restructuring, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

That was followed by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

The Partnership recently recognized the top performing agencies in a breakfast ceremony.