You answered your own question when you remarked, "Not a lot was deducted for my federal taxes." More income =more tax.
Refunds come from having more tax withheld than you owe to the IRS for your filing status and amount of income. If the employer did not withhold much, you will not get a big refund unless you qualify for some refundable credits like child tax credit or earned income credit.
If you want a bigger refund. adjust the W-4 you give your employer. But a big refund also means you are giving the government an interest free loan all year.
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
