El Paso's government sector accounts for over 60,000 jobs or 22.8 percent of the employment in El Paso. The major employers in the government sector are the three largest independent school districts, El Paso Community College, the University of Texas at El Paso, City of El Paso and Fort Bliss U.S. Army Air Defense Center. According to the Fort Bliss garrison commander, Fort Bliss employs over 30,000 people: approximately 23,000 are active duty military, 34,000 are Retired, 12,500 are Active Duty Military Family members, 49,900 are Family members of Retired military, and 7,400 are Civilians for a total supported population of almost 128,000 people. The military post has an economic impact of over $1.4 billion a year on the El Paso economy.

Other federal agencies such as Border Patrol, Customs and INS have seen increases in funding and manpower due to the new emphasis on border security.