Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) backed walkouts by 61% and other forms of industrial action by four to one. Turnout among the union's 250,000 members was 28%.
The PCS, which wants a 5% pay rise, or £1,200, says potential walkouts could clash with the Budget later this month.
It states it has asked for talks on the key issues affecting the lives of civil servants and the services they are able to provide to the public, but claim that to date the government has refused to negotiate.
The PCS said that since the onset of recession in 2008 the real value of wages in the public and private sectors has fallen by 7%, or more than £50 billion a year. During the same period there has been a real terms drop in consumer demand of 5%.
The PCS also said that median pay in the civil service is 4.4%, or £1,263, lower than direct private sector comparators and, in some grades, the gap was 10%.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Civil and public servants are working harder than ever to provide the services we all rely on but, instead of rewarding them, the government is cutting their pay, raiding their pensions and trying to rip up their basic working conditions.
"We said more than two years ago that austerity wouldn't work and we have been proved right. Under this Tory-led government, our economy has flatlined, we are heading for a triple dip recession and the chancellor has lost his prized AAA credit rating.
"We urgently need to invest our way out of recession, with an end to the economically disastrous pay freeze and job cuts and with a serious clampdown on tax avoidance and evasion."
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "The government took the tough decision to freeze public sector pay for two years, while protecting those earning under £21,000 by increasing their pay by at least £250 per year.
"Pay restraint has helped to protect jobs in the public sector and support high quality public services."
The union's leaders will now discuss a programme of strikes and protests, with a decision expected tomorrow.
