Contrary to popular belief, 80% of federal employees work outside of the Washington, DC area. Knowing which areas are experiencing strong growth in the government sector is an excellent idea, whether you are looking to take your career in a new direction, applying to college and universities, or considering government work for the first time.

GovCentral works to keep you up to date on which government branches are hiring the fastest, what states have the most positions available, and how you can increase your chances of getting hired. You may be surprised at which states are the strongest for government growth.

Each state profile below informs you about which career fields are growing, the agencies hiring fastest, and the number of jobs that will be created:

1. CALIFORNIA

2. VIRGINIA

3. TEXAS

4. MARYLAND

5. FLORIDA