The Largest Government Contractors

Who Gets the Most Federal Money?

Every year, the federal government awards hundreds of billions of dollars in contracts to private companies. Here are the biggest players and what they do.

Defense Contractors

The Department of Defense accounts for roughly two-thirds of all federal contract spending. The biggest recipients are:

1. 01Lockheed Martin — Fighter jets (F-35), missiles, space systems
2. 02RTX (Raytheon) — Missiles, radar, cybersecurity
3. 03Boeing — Military aircraft, satellites, helicopters
4. 04General Dynamics — Submarines, combat vehicles, IT
5. 05Northrop Grumman — Bombers (B-21), drones, space systems

IT and Professional Services

The government is one of the world's largest buyers of technology and consulting services:

• --Accenture Federal Services — IT modernization, consulting
• --Booz Allen Hamilton — Consulting, analytics, cybersecurity
• --Leidos — IT, engineering, science
• --SAIC — IT services, engineering
• --Deloitte — Consulting, technology

Healthcare and Pharma

Federal healthcare spending flows to:

• --McKesson — Pharmaceutical distribution
• --UnitedHealth Group — Medicare and Medicaid services
• --Humana — Military healthcare (TRICARE)

Construction

Infrastructure spending goes to companies like:

• --Bechtel — Major construction projects
• --Fluor Corporation — Engineering, construction
• --AECOM — Infrastructure, environment

How Contracting Works

Companies must register in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) to receive federal contracts. Most large contracts go through a competitive bidding process, though some are sole-source awards for specialized needs.

Tracking Contractor Spending

Use the Contractor profiles on this site to see exactly how much each company receives, from which agencies, and for what types of work.