Department of Interior - Federal Departments

Year Founded: 1849

Employees: 56,958

Outlay: $90B / year

Employee Expense: $4.59B in 2021

The Federal Government is broken down into fifteen departments, each of which consists of a number of sub-departments and organizational groups tasked with accomplishing the Department's overall goals.

The Department of the Interior (DoI) protects American federal land, natural resources, heritage and culture. The department administers programs related to protecting American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians. The National Park Service also falls under the DoI.

The DoI once held more responsibility but over time other departments have been created to address specific domestic issues. As departments such as the Energy Department, Transportation Department and Department of Agriculture were created, the Department of the Interior was left to become the "Department of Everything Else.

Who does the Department of Interior hire?

As the "Department of Everything Else" the DoI employs people in a wide range of fields. The DoI actively hires positions in Accounting, Administration, Law, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Technology, General Engineering, Park Rangers and other Law Enforcement Positions.

In 2021, the most common occupation employed by the Department of Interior was Park Ranger at 3,052 employees. The second largest occupation was Maintenance Mechanic with 1,899 employees.

The DoI is based in Washington D.C. and has most of its white-collar jobs located at the D.C. office. DoI also employs park rangers and related positions at national parks across the country.

History of the Department of Interior

Before the creation of the Department of the Interior, responsibilities pertaining to domestic issues were spread throughout other departments. As our young nation grew and the role of the federal government grew, congress decided to consolidate several agencies into the Department of the Interior on March 3, 1849.

The General Land Office was taken from the Treasury, the Indian Affairs Office was taken from the now defunct Department of War, and the Patent Office was taken from Department of State. These agencies along with several others merged into what is today the DoI.

The first Secretary of the Interior was Thomas Ewing. Today, the Department of the Interior manages over 500 million acres of land across the U.S., including 476 dams, 388 national parks and 544 national wildlife refuges.

Average Pay of an Employee in the Department of Interior

Agencies in the Department of Interior (2021)