AM Real Estate Ahmed MakkiyahNorthern Virginia Guide
Capital One's glass headquarters tower and neighboring office buildings in Tysons on a clear fall morning, with the elevated Silver Line curving past and the Capital Beltway below
Working here

Largest Employers in Northern Virginia (2026)Fortune 500 headquarters, federal agencies and thousands of new jobs on the way

One region, many careers: federal agencies, 15 Fortune 500 headquarters, big hospitals, universities and fast-growing tech. Here is who employs the most people, and where the new jobs are.

Capital One Center and the Silver Line· Tysons, Fairfax County

Artist’s renderings of real Northern Virginia places.

Last updated October 15, 2026County and city financial reports (FY2025), Virginia Works, the 2026 Fortune 500, SEC filings, employer and agency pagesAbout a 12-minute read

Quick answer

Northern Virginia’s biggest employer is the federal government. It tops the official lists in Fairfax County and Arlington, and Fairfax County alone counts 28,126 federal employees (FY2025).1,4 The private side is huge too. Fifteen Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters here in 2026, led by Freddie Mac at No. 33, Boeing, RTX and Capital One.11,13 Inova has 26,000 team members.35 And more jobs are on the way: Amazon says HQ2 in Arlington has created nearly 8,500 jobs so far (May 2026), Loudoun counts more than 17,000 data center jobs, and Micron is expanding its chip plant in Manassas.20,30,32

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Six big payrolls, by the numbers

From county, city and employer reports, 2024 to 2026

28,126Federal employees in Fairfax County, FY20251
26,829Employees of Fairfax County Public Schools, FY20251
13,281Employees of Loudoun County Public Schools, the county’s largest employer2
8,000Estimated employees at the Defense Department’s Mark Center in Alexandria, July 20255
5,600Navy Federal Credit Union employees in Vienna, June 30, 202616
1,362Micron employees in the City of Manassas, calendar year 20248

Each county and city keeps its own list, in its own way: some print exact counts, some ranges and some only ranks. This page shows each one as published, with its date. No source adds them up for the whole region, so neither do we.

Why NoVA works

Why Northern Virginia works for your career.

Northern Virginia gives you many career paths in one place: federal agencies, Fortune 500 headquarters, hospitals, universities, data centers and a chip plant. If one employer changes, the next one is often down the road. And more jobs are on the way. Here is the short version, every number with its source.

  • 15

    Fortune 500 headquarters

    Northern Virginia has 15 on the 2026 list, from Freddie Mac at No. 33 down to CACI at No. 459. Nine more local companies rank from 501 to 1000.11,13

  • 8,500

    HQ2 jobs so far, with 25,000 promised

    Amazon says HQ2 in Arlington has created nearly 8,500 jobs (May 21, 2026). Its commitment is more than 25,000.20,19

  • 17,000+

    Data center jobs in Loudoun

    Loudoun Economic Development counts more than 17,000 jobs from data centers and the businesses around them.30

  • $2B+

    A chip plant growing in Manassas

    Micron says its expansion of more than $2 billion supports more than 3,100 direct manufacturing and community jobs (May 22, 2026).32

  • 26,000

    Hospitals and universities, too

    Inova has 26,000 team members. George Mason University reports 5,000 to 9,999 employees in Fairfax County (FY2025).35,1

  • Metro

    Big job centers on the rail lines

    Capital One says its McLean headquarters is next to the McLean Metro station (2018). The Patent Office is a short walk from two Alexandria stations, and NGA points to the VRE.33,34,25

By county and city

The top employers in each county and city.

These come from each government’s own annual financial report, mostly for fiscal year 2025. Names are printed as each report prints them, with three typos fixed. The state’s newer “50 largest employers” lists (3rd quarter 2025) give names and ranks but no counts.10

The beige, brown-brick and blue-glass towers of Inova Fairfax Hospital rising behind a landscaped entrance drive on a clear morning
Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, the flagship of Inova, which has 26,000 team members.Artist’s rendering

Fairfax County

The federal government, the schools and Inova lead, each above 25,000. Six more employers report 5,000 to 9,999 each.1

Employees in Fairfax County, fiscal year 2025, as the county publishes them: exact counts for the top four, then a range.
RankEmployerEmployees
1Federal Government28,126count
2Fairfax County Public Schools26,829count
3Inova Health System26,000count
4Fairfax County Government12,000count
5George Mason University5,000 to 9,999range
6Booz Allen Hamilton5,000 to 9,999range
7Amazon5,000 to 9,999range
8Capital One5,000 to 9,999range
9Science Applications International Corporation5,000 to 9,999range
10Federal Home Loan Mortgage (Freddie Mac)5,000 to 9,999range

Loudoun County

The school system is far ahead, with 13,281. Amazon, United Airlines and Northrop Grumman sit in the 2,500 to 5,000 band.2

Employees in Loudoun County, from the county’s FY2025 report (“2025” column; data period not stated clearly).
RankEmployerEmployees
1Loudoun County Public Schools13,281count
2County of Loudoun5,059count
3U.S. Department of Homeland Security2,500 to 5,000range
4Northrop Grumman (formerly Orbital ATK at this location)2,500 to 5,000range
5United Airlines2,500 to 5,000range
6Amazon2,500 to 5,000range
7Inova Health System (Loudoun Hospital Center)2,500 to 5,000range
8Verizon1,000 to 2,500range
9Dynalectric1,000 to 2,500range
10Walmart1,000 to 2,500range

Prince William County

The county publishes ranges only. Six employers have 1,000 or more, including the Defense Department and Sentara.3

Employees in Prince William County, VEC data for the 1st quarter of 2025. “1,000 or more” is the county’s top band and has no upper end.
RankEmployerEmployees
1Prince William County School Board1,000 or morerange
2County of Prince William1,000 or morerange
3U.S. Department of Defense1,000 or morerange
4Wal Mart1,000 or morerange
5Sentara Healthcare1,000 or morerange
6Morale Welfare and Recreation1,000 or morerange
7Target Corp500 to 999range
8Wegmans Store #07500 to 999range
9The Fishel Company500 to 999range
10Giant Food500 to 999range

Arlington

Arlington publishes ranks, not counts. Amazon is No. 3, right after government.4

Arlington County’s 2025 ranking by number of employees, top 10 of 20. No counts are published.
RankEmployerEmployees
1Federal GovernmentNot published
2Local Government & SchoolsNot published
3AmazonNot published
4DeloitteNot published
5AccentureNot published
6Virginia Hospital CenterNot published
7Booz Allen HamiltonNot published
8Bloomberg Industry GroupNot published
9GartnerNot published
10NestleNot published

Ranks 11 to 20: 11 Guidehouse, 12 Marymount University, 13 Public Broadcasting Service, 14 Politico, 15 Rand Corporation, 16 SAIC, 17 Boeing, 18 CNA Corp, 19 Oracle America, Inc., 20 Lidl.

City of Alexandria

Federal offices lead: the Defense Department’s Mark Center and the Patent and Trademark Office. Inova is the largest private employer.5

Estimated employees in the city, as of July 1, 2025. The city prints two lists of ten.
RankLargest public employersEmployeesLargest private employersEmployees
1U.S. Department of Defense - Mark Center8,000estimateInova Health System2,500estimate
2U.S. Patent and Trademark Office6,000estimateSystem Plan & Analysis INC1,600estimate
3City of Alexandria2,600estimateInstitute for Defense Analysis1,500estimate
4Alexandria Public School System2,500estimateGoodwin House1,000estimate
5U.S. Inspector General2,400estimateKearney & Company PC700estimate
6U.S. Dept of Commerce2,000estimateWegmans600estimate
7National Science Foundation1,800estimateNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children600estimate
8WMATA1,500estimateHarris Teeter450estimate
9U.S. General Services Administration800estimateWoodbine Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center300estimate
10Northern Virginia Community College600estimateGiant Food200estimate

City of Manassas

Chipmaker Micron tops the city’s list, with Lockheed Martin, Aurora Flight Sciences and BAE Systems also in the top ten.8

Employees in the City of Manassas, calendar year 2024, the latest year the city had. FTE means full-time equivalent.
RankEmployerEmployees
1Micron Technology1,362count
2UVA Health System (formerly Novant and Prince William Health System)1,298count
3Manassas City Public Schools (FTE)1,213count
4Lockheed Martin1,070count
5City of Manassas (FTE)501count
6Aurora Flight Sciences469count
7American Disposal Service395count
8S.W.I.F.T.338count
9BAE Systems320count
10Southland Insulators164count

Three smaller cities

Their reports are short, so here are the top names in a few lines.

  • City of Fairfax

    The City government is the largest employer on the city’s 2025 list, with 600 employees. Next come Sentry Force, Zeta Assoc and Ted Britt Ford Sales, with 250 to 499 employees each. The table counts the City government plus private employers only.6

  • City of Falls Church

    Falls Church City Schools leads with 500 to 700 employees, then the City government with 300 to 500. Kaiser Permanente and Markon Solutions have 200 to 300 each (2025).7

  • City of Manassas Park

    The newest report is for June 30, 2024, and it gives ranks only. No. 1 is Realtime Peo II, LLC, then the Manassas Park City School Board and the City of Manassas Park. A 2025 report was not posted when we checked in October 2026.9

Fortune 500

Fifteen Fortune 500 companies call Northern Virginia home.

Ten are in Fairfax County, four in Arlington and one in Loudoun. Freddie Mac ranks highest, at No. 33. The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority counts Northrop Grumman as a Fairfax company: its headquarters at Fairview Park has a Falls Church mailing address.11,12,13,14

The long curving beige headquarters building of Freddie Mac in Tysons behind a green lawn, flower beds and mature trees on a sunny morning
Freddie Mac’s headquarters in Tysons. At No. 33, it is the highest-ranked Fortune 500 company in Northern Virginia.Artist’s rendering
Fortune 500, 2026 list: rank, and the headquarters town from each company’s SEC filing address.
RankCompanyHeadquarters townCountyNote
33Freddie MacMcLeanFairfax County
47BoeingArlingtonArlington CountyGlobal headquarters since 2022; its defense unit’s headquarters returned to St. Louis in 202618
49RTXArlingtonArlington County
63Capital One FinancialMcLeanFairfax County
91General DynamicsRestonFairfax County
112Northrop GrummanFalls Church addressFairfax CountyFairview Park, Fairfax County; not in the City of Falls Church
260Leidos HoldingsRestonFairfax County
313Amentum HoldingsChantillyFairfax CountyPlans to move its headquarters to Reston in early 202713
328Venture GlobalArlingtonArlington County
343DXC TechnologyAshburnLoudoun County
358AESArlingtonArlington County
367Hilton Worldwide HoldingsMcLeanFairfax County
372Booz Allen Hamilton HoldingMcLeanFairfax County
409NVRRestonFairfax County
459CACI InternationalRestonFairfax County

Ranked 501 to 1000

Fortune 1000, 2026 list, ranks 501 to 1000, with the headquarters town from the SEC filing address.
RankCompanyHeadquarters townCountyNote
513Science Applications International (SAIC)RestonFairfax County
568ParsonsCentrevilleFairfax CountyFortune lists Chantilly; the SEC address and Virginia Business say Centreville
628MaximusMcLeanFairfax CountyVirginia Business lists Reston; Fortune and the SEC say McLean
682Graham HoldingsArlingtonArlington County
731V2XRestonFairfax CountyVirginia Business lists McLean; Fortune and the SEC say Reston
879CoStar GroupArlingtonArlington CountyFortune’s company page still shows Washington, D.C.; the list and the SEC show Arlington
890NavientHerndonFairfax County
924AvalonBay CommunitiesArlingtonArlington County
998TEGNAMcLeanFairfax County

Big names based elsewhere. Amazon is No. 1 on the Fortune 500, but its principal headquarters is in Seattle; HQ2 is in Arlington. Fannie Mae, No. 26, is based in Washington, D.C., and appears at No. 16 on the state’s Fairfax County list.11,12,10

Other headquarters here, not on the 2026 Fortune 1000. Navy Federal Credit Union (Vienna), Mars (McLean, privately held), MITRE (McLean, and Bedford, Massachusetts), Volkswagen Group of America (Reston), Nestlé USA (Rosslyn), Appian and Iridium (McLean), Alarm.com (Tysons) and Verisign (Reston).16,17,12

Federal employers

The biggest federal employers, and what is known about each.

The federal government tops the official lists in Fairfax County and Arlington. Some agencies publish their numbers; many do not. Here is what the official sources say, in plain words.

The tall pointed glass atrium of the Patent and Trademark Office headquarters in Alexandria between brick and stone wings, seen across a green courtyard lawn in spring
The Patent and Trademark Office headquarters in Carlyle, Alexandria: an estimated 6,000 employees (July 2025).Artist’s rendering
Each number is what the source calls it: employees, a workforce, an estimate or a range, with its date.
Federal employer or siteWhereNumberWhat the number is, and when
Federal government, all agenciesFairfax County28,126Employees in the county, FY2025 (county report; VEC 4th quarter 2024)1
Marine Corps Base QuanticoQuantico, Prince William County28,385Workforce, January 2024: 6,173 military, 10,998 civilian, 5,616 contractors and 5,598 students. The base also reaches into counties outside this guide.26
Federal agencies in ArlingtonArlington25,000Estimated employees, not counting military personnel at the Pentagon and Joint Base Myer. Undated page, read October 2026.23
The PentagonArlington25,000 (2004)Employees, from a March 2004 Defense Department document. This figure is dated: no newer official count was found.24
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency headquartersSpringfield, on Fort Belvoirover 8,500Employees at the headquarters, per NGA. Undated page, read October 2026.25
Defense Department, Mark CenterAlexandria8,000Estimate, July 1, 20255
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office headquartersAlexandria6,000Estimate, July 1, 20255
U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityLoudoun County2,500 to 5,000Range, Loudoun FY2025 report2
“U.S. Inspector General,” as the city lists itAlexandria2,400Estimate, July 1, 2025. The report does not say which inspector general.5
“U.S. Dept of Commerce,” as the city lists itAlexandria2,000Estimate, July 1, 2025. Listed apart from the Patent Office, which is part of Commerce.5
National Science Foundation headquartersAlexandria1,800Estimate, July 1, 20255
U.S. Department of DefensePrince William County1,000 or moreRange, VEC 1st quarter 2025 (the county’s top band)3

No count published. CIA headquarters in the McLean area says only “thousands.” The National Reconnaissance Office in Chantilly and TSA headquarters in Springfield publish no headcount.28 Fort Belvoir publishes no workforce count either. The Army has said more than 200,000 people there need support each day, but that is not a count of workers.27

Public, not federal. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which runs Dulles International and Reagan National, budgets 1,934 positions for the whole authority in 2026.29 The FBI is No. 8 on the state’s list for the City of Manassas, with no count published.10

Growth

Where the new jobs are coming from.

Three big stories: Amazon’s second headquarters in Arlington, Loudoun’s data centers and Micron’s chip plant in Manassas. Here is what each has promised, and what has happened so far.

White and silver metal chip-plant buildings with steel exhaust stacks at Micron in Manassas, behind a green lawn and young trees on a clear fall morning
Micron’s memory-chip plant in Manassas, the city’s largest employer, in the middle of an expansion of more than $2 billion.Artist’s rendering

Arlington · National Landing

Amazon HQ2

  • Promised: more than 25,000 jobs (Amazon, April 20, 2022).19
  • So far: nearly 8,500 jobs created and more than $2.53 billion invested (Amazon, May 21, 2026).20
  • Built: Metropolitan Park, two office buildings of about 2.1 million square feet, is complete. PenPlace, about 3.3 million square feet in four buildings including “The Helix,” was approved in April 2022; no construction start date is confirmed.22
  • The pace: Virginia Business reported in April 2026 that no HQ2 jobs qualified for the state grant in 2025, after 293 in 2024, and that the 25,000 target date is 2038.21

Loudoun County

Data centers

  • More than 17,000 jobs in Loudoun come from data centers and the data center ecosystem.30
  • 53.3 million square feet of data centers are in operation or under development.30
  • Google says it has built data centers in Loudoun and Prince William counties and an office in Reston, and is investing $9 billion in Virginia through 2026 in cloud and AI infrastructure.31

City of Manassas

Micron

  • 1,362 employees in calendar year 2024, the city’s largest employer.8
  • Micron says its Fab 6 employs more than 1,300 staff and 1,000 contractors.32
  • An expansion of more than $2 billion supports more than 3,100 direct manufacturing and community jobs, Micron said on May 22, 2026. Its federal CHIPS award plans an estimated 340 direct jobs and up to 2,700 community jobs at the project’s peak.32

Also moving: Amentum, No. 313 on the Fortune 500, plans to move its headquarters from Chantilly to Reston in early 2027.13

Where the jobs are

Six job centers, from Tysons to Manassas.

Each place below links to its town guide, with home prices, schools and the commute.

A Metro train at the elevated Greensboro station in Tysons, with commuters seen from behind walking toward the station's glass canopy and an office tower behind
A Silver Line train at Greensboro station in Tysons, steps from the office towers.Artist’s rendering

  • Tysons

    Glass towers along the Silver Line. Capital One (1680 Capital One Drive), Freddie Mac (8200 Jones Branch Drive) and Booz Allen Hamilton (8283 Greensboro Drive) have their headquarters here, with McLean addresses. Hilton is on Jones Branch Drive too. Capital One says its headquarters sits next to the McLean Metro station (2018 report). Navy Federal Credit Union’s headquarters is in Vienna, with 5,600 employees there (June 30, 2026).12,15,33,16

    McLean guide · Vienna guide

  • Reston

    A row of big headquarters. General Dynamics, Leidos, CACI, NVR, V2X and SAIC all list Reston on their SEC filings, and so does Verisign. Volkswagen Group of America is here, and Google has built an office here. Amentum plans to join them in early 2027.12,17,31,13

    Reston guide

  • Arlington

    Two big job centers. In National Landing and Pentagon City: Amazon HQ2 at Metropolitan Park (1400 S. Eads St.) and Boeing’s global headquarters (929 Long Bridge Drive). The Pentagon is in Arlington too. Along Wilson Boulevard: RTX (1000), CoStar (1201), AvalonBay (4040) and AES (4300). Nestlé USA and Graham Holdings share 1812 North Moore Street in Rosslyn.22,18,12,17

    Arlington guide

  • Alexandria

    Federal offices lead. The Defense Department’s Mark Center has an estimated 8,000 employees and the Patent and Trademark Office in Carlyle 6,000 (July 1, 2025). The Patent Office says it is a short walk from the King Street and Eisenhower Avenue Metro stations, with Amtrak and VRE at Alexandria Union Station. The National Science Foundation’s headquarters is in the city too.5,34

    City of Alexandria guide

  • Ashburn

    Home of DXC Technology, Loudoun’s one Fortune 500 headquarters, at 20408 Bashan Drive. Data center campuses stand along Loudoun County Parkway, and the Silver Line ends at Ashburn station. Across Loudoun, United Airlines, Amazon, Northrop Grumman and Homeland Security each report 2,500 to 5,000 employees.12,2

    Ashburn guide

  • Manassas

    Chipmaker Micron is the City of Manassas’s largest employer, with 1,362 employees, and Lockheed Martin has 1,070 (calendar year 2024). UVA Health System has 1,298. The FBI is No. 8 on the state’s list for the city (3rd quarter 2025, no count published).8,10

    City of Manassas guide

From Ahmed

A new job is often where a move begins.

An offer in Tysons, Reston, Arlington or Manassas raises the same practical questions: which towns, what the homes cost, and how the trip to work looks by car, Metro or VRE. The town guides linked above put the prices, schools and commutes side by side.

If you are weighing a new job here, I can walk you through the homes and the numbers around it, in English or Arabic.

Questions

What people ask about jobs and employers in Northern Virginia.

What is the largest employer in Northern Virginia?

The federal government. It is No. 1 on the official employer lists in both Fairfax County and Arlington. Fairfax County counts 28,126 federal employees in its fiscal year 2025 financial report. On that same list, Fairfax County Public Schools has 26,829 employees and Inova Health System has 26,000. Arlington ranks its employers but does not publish counts.

What are the biggest companies in Northern Virginia?

On the 2026 Fortune 500, the biggest companies headquartered here are Freddie Mac (No. 33, McLean), Boeing (No. 47, Arlington), RTX (No. 49, Arlington), Capital One (No. 63, McLean) and General Dynamics (No. 91, Reston). Amazon ranks No. 1, but its main headquarters is in Seattle; HQ2 is in Arlington. By local payroll, Fairfax County lists Booz Allen Hamilton, Amazon, Capital One, SAIC and Freddie Mac at 5,000 to 9,999 employees each in the county (fiscal year 2025).

How many Fortune 500 companies are in Northern Virginia?

Fifteen on the 2026 list: ten in Fairfax County, four in Arlington and one in Loudoun, DXC Technology in Ashburn. Freddie Mac ranks highest, at No. 33. Fairfax’s ten include Northrop Grumman, whose headquarters at Fairview Park has a Falls Church mailing address. Nine more Northern Virginia companies rank from 501 to 1000.

Which companies are headquartered in Tysons, Reston and Arlington?

Tysons: the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority lists Capital One, Freddie Mac and Booz Allen Hamilton there, and Alarm.com’s address is in Tysons. Hilton, TEGNA, Appian, Iridium and Maximus also have McLean addresses. Reston: General Dynamics, Leidos, CACI, NVR, SAIC, V2X, Verisign and Volkswagen Group of America. Arlington: Boeing, RTX, Venture Global, AES, Graham Holdings, CoStar, AvalonBay and Nestlé USA.

How many people work at Amazon HQ2?

Amazon says HQ2 has created nearly 8,500 jobs (May 21, 2026). Its commitment is more than 25,000 jobs. In April 2026, Virginia Business reported, citing Amazon’s filing with the state, that HQ2 added no jobs that qualified for the state grant in 2025, after 293 in 2024, and that the target date for 25,000 jobs is 2038.

How many people work at the Pentagon?

There is no current official count. The only official figure we found is 25,000 employees, in a March 2004 Defense Department document, so it is more than 20 years old. Arlington’s 2025 financial report ranks the federal government as the county’s largest employer but gives no number.

Is Amazon headquartered in Virginia?

Its second headquarters is. Amazon’s principal headquarters is in Seattle, according to its SEC filings. HQ2 is at Metropolitan Park, 1400 S. Eads St., in the National Landing and Pentagon City area of Arlington.

How many data center jobs are in Loudoun County?

Loudoun Economic Development says data centers and the data center ecosystem provide more than 17,000 jobs in Loudoun County, with 53.3 million square feet of data centers in operation or under development. The page is undated; we read it in October 2026.

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Keep exploring

Pick the part of Northern Virginia that fits your job.

County guide

Fairfax County

Tysons, Reston and the federal campuses.

Open the guide County guide

Arlington

HQ2, the Pentagon and Rosslyn.

Open the guide County guide

Loudoun County

Ashburn, Dulles and the data centers.

Open the guide County guide

Prince William County

Manassas and Quantico.

Open the guide What’s being built

The big projects

HQ2, data centers, hospitals and more.

Read the guide Moving here

Property taxes

Northern Virginia against other states.

Read the guide

Keep reading