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), school and county budgets (FY2027), federal jobs data (BLS and OPM), Virginia Works, the 2026 Fortune 500, SEC filings, employer and agency pagesAbout a 14-minute read

Quick answer

Northern Virginia’s biggest employer is the federal government, with about 70,100 civilian jobs here in March 2026, plus the military.49 Counted one employer at a time, the biggest are Marine Corps Base Quantico (a workforce of 28,385), Inova (26,000 team members) and Fairfax County Public Schools (25,626 positions); see the top 30.26,35,36 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.

Top 30

The 30 biggest employers in Northern Virginia, ranked.

Each employer is ranked by the smallest number its own source supports, so a range like 5,000 to 9,999 counts as 5,000. Every bar says what was counted (employees, positions or a base’s workforce) and when. Sources and dates differ, so treat close ranks as near ties.

Who makes the top 30
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  • 7Military and federal agencies
  • 10Businesses
  • 5Public school systems
  • 5County and city governments
  • 3Hospital, university and airports

Each square is one employer, in rank order. Tap one to jump to it.

The number the source gives, or a range’s low endThe rest of the range“Or more”Tie Same low end, listed in the county report’s order

Ranks 1 to 10

  1. 1
    Marine Corps Base QuanticoWorkforce, January 2024 · Quantico, Prince William County266,173 military and 10,998 civilian employees (dark), plus 5,616 contractors and 5,598 students (light), as the base counts its workforce. The base also reaches into counties outside this guide.
    28,385
  2. 2
    Inova Health SystemTeam members, whole health system; undated page, read October 202635Fairfax County’s FY2025 report lists the same 26,000.1
    26,000
  3. 3
    Fairfax County Public SchoolsFull-time equivalent positions, FY2027 approved budget36Fairfax County’s FY2025 report counts 26,829 employees.1
    25,626
  4. 4
    The PentagonMilitary and civilian employees; undated page, read October 2026 · Arlington37The same page also says “over 23,000.”
    About 24,000
  5. 5
    Fort BelvoirDefense Department civilians on the post, March 2024 news report · Fairfax County38Plus over 1,000 contractors. NGA’s headquarters (over 8,500 employees) is on the post, so it is not ranked separately.25
    Over 17,000
  6. 6
    Loudoun County Public SchoolsFull-time equivalent positions, FY2027 budget39Loudoun County’s FY2025 report counts 13,281 employees.2
    14,214
  7. 7
    Prince William County Public SchoolsEmployees, FY2027 proposed budget40
    More than 14,000
  8. 8
    Fairfax County GovernmentRegular positions in all funds, FY2027 adopted budget41The county’s FY2025 report counts 12,000 employees.1
    13,755
  9. 9
    Amazon (including AWS)Employees in Fairfax and Loudoun counties together, FY2025 county reports1,2Not added in: the nearly 8,500 jobs Amazon says HQ2 in Arlington has created (May 2026), so the total may be larger. Arlington ranks Amazon No. 3 with no count.20,4
    7,500 to 14,999
  10. 10
    U.S. Patent and Trademark OfficeEmployees with a duty station here, August 2026; 4,090 in Alexandria48
    6,272
The three-story reddish-brown brick headquarters of Navy Federal Credit Union in Vienna, with ribbon windows and a rounded corner on round brick columns, behind young trees in fall color
Navy Federal Credit Union’s headquarters in Vienna, No. 12: 5,600 employees there (June 30, 2026).Artist’s rendering

Ranks 11 to 20

  1. 11
    Prince William County GovernmentFull-time equivalent positions, FY2027 adopted budget42
    5,723
  2. 12
    Navy Federal Credit UnionEmployees at its Vienna headquarters, June 30, 202616
    5,600
  3. 13
    Loudoun County GovernmentFull-time equivalent positions, FY2027 adopted budget43
    5,485
  4. 14
    Arlington Public SchoolsPositions, FY2027 adopted budget44
    5,271
  5. 15Tie
    George Mason UniversityEmployees in Fairfax County, FY2025 county report1
    5,000 to 9,999
  6. 16Tie
    Booz Allen HamiltonEmployees in Fairfax County, FY2025 county report1
    5,000 to 9,999
  7. 17Tie
    Capital OneEmployees in Fairfax County, FY2025 county report1
    5,000 to 9,999
  8. 18Tie
    SAICEmployees in Fairfax County, FY2025 county report1The county lists the company’s full old name, Science Applications International Corporation, which may also cover Leidos.
    5,000 to 9,999
  9. 19Tie
    Freddie MacEmployees in Fairfax County, FY2025 county report1
    5,000 to 9,999
  10. 20Tie
    General Dynamics (including GDIT)Employees in Fairfax County, county economic development sheet, August 202515
    5,000 or more
The long main terminal of Dulles Airport with its tilted concrete piers and curved hanging roof, the pagoda-topped original control tower behind it, under a clear fall sky
Eero Saarinen’s 1962 main terminal at Dulles International. The Airports Authority, No. 29, budgets 1,934 positions for Dulles and Reagan National together (2026).Artist’s rendering

Ranks 21 to 30

  1. 21
    U.S. Postal ServiceJobs counted where people work, March 202649
    4,653
  2. 22
    Arlington County GovernmentFull-time equivalent positions, FY2027 adopted budget45
    4,298
  3. 23
    City of AlexandriaFull-time equivalent positions, FY2027 approved budget46
    2,838
  4. 24Tie
    Northrop GrummanEmployees in Loudoun County, FY2025 county report2Its headquarters in Fairfax County is not in this count.
    2,500 to 5,000
  5. 25Tie
    United AirlinesEmployees in Loudoun County, FY2025 county report2
    2,500 to 5,000
  6. 26Tie
    U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityEmployees at its Loudoun County sites, FY2025 county report2
    2,500 to 5,000
  7. 27
    Alexandria City Public SchoolsAuthorized positions, FY2026, area school boards’ budget guide47
    2,458
  8. 28
    WalmartEmployees in Loudoun (1,000 to 2,500) and Prince William (1,000 or more), FY2025 county reports2,3
    2,000 or more
  9. 29
    Metropolitan Washington Airports AuthorityBudgeted positions for the whole authority, which runs Dulles and Reagan National, 202629
    1,934
  10. 30
    Transportation Security AdministrationEmployees with a duty station shown here, August 2026; 1,447 in Springfield48A floor: most TSA records in the federal data hide their location.
    1,826 or more

Not ranked, and why

  • CIA. Its headquarters in the McLean area says only that “thousands” work there.28
  • National Reconnaissance Office. Its headquarters in Chantilly publishes no headcount.28
  • FBI. It says it employs about 38,000 people nationwide, not how many work in Northern Virginia, and the federal workforce data hides the location of most FBI records. Its Academy is at Quantico, and the state lists the FBI as the No. 8 employer in the City of Manassas, with no count.50,48,10
  • National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Over 8,500 employees at its headquarters in Springfield, which is on Fort Belvoir, so the post’s count may already include them.25
  • Alexandria’s federal offices. The city estimates 8,000 at the Defense Department’s Mark Center and 1,800 to 2,400 at three other offices (July 2025), but it calls its numbers “estimates only.” They are in the federal table below.5
  • The federal government as one employer. About 70,100 civilian federal jobs here in March 2026, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics count, would put it far ahead. It is many separate agencies, so we rank them one by one.49

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.

The rounded glass-and-metal corner of Horizon Hall at George Mason University with a green post clock on the brick plaza in front and young trees in fall color
Horizon Hall on George Mason University’s Fairfax campus, No. 15: 5,000 to 9,999 employees in Fairfax County (FY2025).Artist’s rendering
  • 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

Where the 15 rank on the 2026 Fortune 500

  • 10 Fairfax County
  • 4 Arlington County
  • 1 Loudoun County
  1. No.33
    Freddie MacMcLean · Fairfax County
  2. No.47
    BoeingArlington · Arlington CountyGlobal headquarters since 2022; its defense unit’s headquarters returned to St. Louis in 202618
  3. No.49
    RTXArlington · Arlington County
  4. No.63
    Capital One FinancialMcLean · Fairfax County
  5. No.91
    General DynamicsReston · Fairfax County
  6. No.112
    Northrop GrummanFalls Church address · Fairfax CountyFairview Park, Fairfax County; not in the City of Falls Church
  7. No.260
    Leidos HoldingsReston · Fairfax County
  8. No.313
    Amentum HoldingsChantilly · Fairfax CountyPlans to move its headquarters to Reston in early 202713
  9. No.328
    Venture GlobalArlington · Arlington County
  10. No.343
    DXC TechnologyAshburn · Loudoun County
  11. No.358
    AESArlington · Arlington County
  12. No.367
    Hilton Worldwide HoldingsMcLean · Fairfax County
  13. No.372
    Booz Allen Hamilton HoldingMcLean · Fairfax County
  14. No.409
    NVRReston · Fairfax County
  15. No.459
    CACI InternationalReston · Fairfax County

Fortune 500, 2026 list: each dot is a company’s rank, coloured by county. The headquarters town is from each company’s SEC filing address.

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. The agency has 6,272 employees with a duty station in Northern Virginia (August 2026).Artist’s rendering
Federal civilian jobs in Northern Virginia, month by month Jobs counted where people work, January 2024 to March 2026, in the four counties and five cities of this guide. Military members and some national security agencies are not counted.49
82,497January 2025, the highest month
70,108March 2026, the latest month
−12,38915.0% fewer than the peak

Change by county and city, January 2025 to March 2026

  • Fairfax County−5,05928,632 to 23,573
  • Arlington−4,51625,981 to 21,465
  • Prince William County−1,5978,149 to 6,552
  • Loudoun County−7306,837 to 6,107
  • City of Falls Church−3482,052 to 1,704
  • City of Fairfax−336738 to 402
  • City of Manassas−214998 to 784
  • City of Manassas Park−1427 to 13
  • City of Alexandria+4259,083 to 9,508

Not seasonally adjusted. Federal jobs in the City of Alexandria rose while every other county and city fell.

Federal employers and sites, one by one

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 PentagonArlingtonabout 24,000Military and civilian employees, per the Defense Department’s Military OneSource overview (undated, read October 2026); the same page also says over 23,000. A March 2004 document gave 25,000.37,24
Fort BelvoirFairfax Countyover 17,000Defense Department civilians working on the post, plus over 1,000 contractors (news report, March 2024). The Army publishes no workforce count.38,27
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 OfficeAlexandria and the region6,272Employees with a duty station in Northern Virginia, 4,090 of them in Alexandria (federal workforce data, August 2026). The city estimated 6,000 at the headquarters (July 1, 2025).48,5
U.S. Postal ServiceAcross the region4,653Jobs counted where people work, March 2026 (Bureau of Labor Statistics)49
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
Transportation Security AdministrationSpringfield and the airports1,826 or moreEmployees with a duty station shown here, 1,447 of them in Springfield (federal workforce data, August 2026). A floor: most TSA records hide their location.48

No count published. CIA headquarters in the McLean area says only “thousands.” The National Reconnaissance Office in Chantilly publishes no headcount, and neither does TSA headquarters in Springfield, though federal workforce data shows at least 1,826 TSA employees with a duty station here (August 2026).28,48 The Army publishes no workforce count for Fort Belvoir; it has said more than 200,000 people there need support each day, which is not a count of workers.27

The FBI. It says it employs about 38,000 people nationwide but gives no Northern Virginia count. Its Academy is at Quantico, and it is No. 8 on the state’s list for the City of Manassas, with no count published.50,10

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

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

17,000+jobs in Loudoun
  • 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

3,100+jobs the expansion supports
  • 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?

Counted one employer or base at a time, Marine Corps Base Quantico is the largest: its January 2024 report counts a workforce of 28,385, including 5,616 contractors and 5,598 students. Next come Inova Health System, with 26,000 team members, and Fairfax County Public Schools, with 25,626 full-time equivalent positions in its FY2027 budget. Taken as a whole, the federal government is bigger than any of them: the Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 70,108 federal civilian jobs in Northern Virginia in March 2026, not counting the military.

What are the 10 largest employers in Northern Virginia?

Ranked by the smallest number each one’s own source supports: 1. Marine Corps Base Quantico (a workforce of 28,385, January 2024). 2. Inova Health System (26,000 team members). 3. Fairfax County Public Schools (25,626 positions, FY2027). 4. The Pentagon (about 24,000). 5. Fort Belvoir (over 17,000 Defense Department civilians, March 2024). 6. Loudoun County Public Schools (14,214 positions, FY2027). 7. Prince William County Public Schools (more than 14,000 employees). 8. Fairfax County Government (13,755 positions, FY2027). 9. Amazon (7,500 to 14,999 in Fairfax and Loudoun, FY2025, plus HQ2). 10. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (6,272 employees, August 2026).

Why are the CIA, NRO and FBI not on the list?

They publish no count for Northern Virginia. The CIA says only that “thousands” work at its headquarters, and the National Reconnaissance Office in Chantilly publishes no headcount. The FBI says it employs about 38,000 people nationwide, but not how many work here. Its Academy is at Quantico, and the state lists the FBI as the No. 8 employer in the City of Manassas, with no count.

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?

About 24,000 military and civilian employees, according to the Defense Department’s Military OneSource overview of the Pentagon (undated page, read October 2026). The same page also says over 23,000. An older Defense Department document, from March 2004, gave 25,000.

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.

Your next step

Got the offer? Let’s find the home that fits it.

Tell me where you will work and when you start. I answer in English or Arabic, with real numbers, not a pitch.

اقرأ هذه الصفحة كاملة بالعربية ←

وكيلك العقاري الموثوق في شمال فرجينيا.

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