By the OnPAR Federal Retirement Education editorial team · Last updated

Tampa Bay's federal workforce is dominated by the VA, and Florida doesn't tax personal income. We help Tampa-area feds plan their FERS retirement by phone or video, and we have no local office.

Federal employers in the area

OPM's August 2026 workforce data shows 14,019 federal civilians on duty in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro[19]. That count leaves out employees whose metro OPM does not publish, mainly security agencies such as most of DoD[20], so the real number is higher. The Veterans Health Administration accounts for 10,281, followed by the Veterans Benefits Administration (1,150) and the Social Security Administration (460)[19].

Who to call about your benefits

Your agency HR office handles your retirement application. DoD civilians use their service's benefits center, such as AFPC BEST at 1-800-525-0102 for the Air Force[2]. Retirees call OPM at 1-888-767-6738[3]. For Social Security questions, find your nearest SSA office with SSA's official locator[21]; we don't list addresses here because offices move.

Florida tax on your FERS annuity

Florida does not have a personal income tax, so individuals don't file a Florida income tax return[36]. Your FERS annuity and TSP withdrawals aren't taxed by the state.

Cost of living

BEA puts the 2024 price level for the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro at 100.9, where 100 is the U.S. average[1].

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Sources

  1. BEA: Regional Price Parities by State and Metro Area (2024 data, released Feb 19, 2026)
  2. DoD DCPAS: Benefits Service Centers (official DoD civilian benefits contacts)
  3. OPM: Retirement Services contact
  4. OPM Federal Workforce Data: Federal Employment raw data, August 2026 (EHRI Status, published Oct 4, 2026)
  5. OPM Data Release Policy (security-agency duty stations outside DC are not published by metro)
  6. SSA: Social Security Office Locator
  7. Florida Department of Revenue: Do I have to file a personal income tax return in Florida?

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