Biggest Government Contractors: Who Gets the Money
Published April 1, 2026 · USASpending.gov data
The federal government spends over $700 billion annually on contracts — buying everything from fighter jets to IT consulting to office supplies. A relatively small number of companies receive the bulk of that spending. Here are the 25 largest federal contractors ranked by total obligations from USASpending.gov.
Top 25 Federal Contractors by Total Obligations
| Rank | Contractor | Total Obligations | Primary Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc. | $20.1B | Department of Veterans Affairs |
| 2 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | $14.4B | Department of Defense |
| 3 | Mckesson Corporation | $9.0B | Department of Veterans Affairs |
| 4 | The Boeing Company | $8.6B | Department of Defense |
| 5 | Electric Boat Corporation | $8.6B | Department of Defense |
| 6 | Triwest Healthcare Alliance Corp. | $8.4B | Department of Veterans Affairs |
| 7 | Humana Government Business Inc. | $8.0B | Department of Defense |
| 8 | Raytheon Company | $7.8B | Department of Defense |
| 9 | Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. | $6.9B | General Services Administration |
| 10 | Amerisourcebergen Drug Corp. | $6.1B | Department of Defense |
| 11 | Triad National Security, LLC | $5.2B | Department of Energy |
| 12 | Rtx Corporation | $5.0B | Department of Defense |
| 13 | National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC | $5.0B | Department of Energy |
| 14 | Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc. | $4.8B | Department of Defense |
| 15 | General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc. | $4.8B | General Services Administration |
| 16 | Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation | $4.8B | Department of Defense |
| 17 | Science Applications International Corporation | $4.5B | Department of Defense |
| 18 | Huntington Ingalls Incorporated | $3.9B | Department of Defense |
| 19 | Amentum Services, Inc. | $3.8B | Department of Defense |
| 20 | Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC | $3.6B | Department of Energy |
| 21 | Huntington Ingalls Inc. | $3.6B | Department of Defense |
| 22 | Health Net Federal Services, LLC | $3.5B | Department of Defense |
| 23 | Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. | $3.5B | Department of Defense |
| 24 | Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC | $3.5B | Department of Energy |
| 25 | Space Exploration Technologies Corp. | $3.4B | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
The Concentration Problem
Federal contracting is highly concentrated. The top 10 contractors receive roughly 25% of all federal contract dollars, and the top 100 receive over 50%. This concentration is particularly pronounced in defense, where five companies (Lockheed Martin, RTX, General Dynamics, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman) account for roughly 30% of all Department of Defense spending.
Beyond Defense: IT and Healthcare
While defense dominates the top of the list, federal IT and healthcare contracting have grown rapidly. Major IT contractors like Leidos, SAIC, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Accenture Federal have seen double-digit growth as agencies modernize legacy systems. Healthcare contractors like Humana and UnitedHealth appear in the top 25 primarily through Medicare Advantage and TRICARE contracts.
For spending by agency, see our federal spending breakdown. For defense-specific analysis, see defense spending breakdown 2026. Browse all contractors on our full contractor rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the largest government contractor?
Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc. is the largest federal contractor with $20.1B in total obligations in FY2024.
How much does the government spend on contractors?
The federal government obligated $525.3B to contractors in FY2024. This includes goods, services, research, and construction across all federal agencies.
Where does federal contractor data come from?
All federal contractor data comes from USASpending.gov, the official source for federal spending data mandated by the DATA Act. The data includes every contract, grant, and financial assistance award above the micro-purchase threshold ($10,000).
About This Data
All contractor data is from USASpending.gov, the official U.S. government source for federal spending data. Updated daily. See our methodology.