In contrast to the early twentieth century, when marriage could set an end to women’s working lives, early modern society was based on the fundamental necessity of married women’s work. This chapter looks at one part of the labor market where this was particularly salient: state service. The new states of Europe created a market in male labor and new career opportunities for men. States were, however, just as dependent on women’s work, both for their households and directly for the state. Looking at men’s and women’s work in four state-run sectors (the customs administration, the army, large-scale production units, and midwifery), this chapter explores the ways in which state formation, commercialization, and people’s everyday lives were entangled.