The federal government employs about 2 million civilians in nearly every occupation, from nurses and park rangers to economists, engineers, and cybersecurity specialists, and about 85 percent work outside the Washington area. Federal jobs offer pay set by law, a pension, and other benefits, but the application process is more formal and slower than in most private jobs.
This guide walks through finding openings, applying, and what happens next.
Human resources staff review applications for minimum qualifications and rate them, then refer the best qualified to a hiring manager, who may interview. A selected applicant receives a tentative offer, followed by a background investigation, which for jobs requiring a security clearance can take months. A final offer sets the start date. The whole process often takes three to six months or longer, and USAJOBS shows each application's status. New employees usually serve a one-year probationary period, during which they can be removed more easily.
Check who may apply: some jobs are open to the public, while others are limited to current or former federal employees, veterans, or other groups. Most white-collar jobs use the General Schedule, with grades from GS-1 to GS-15 and pay adjusted by locality. Qualifications usually require a year of specialized experience at the next lower grade, or education, such as a bachelor's degree for entry at GS-5 or GS-7 and a master's degree for GS-9. The announcement lists the duties, how applicants will be evaluated, and the documents required, such as transcripts or proof of veterans preference.
Since September 27, 2025, USAJOBS accepts resumes of no more than two pages, so focus on the experience that matches the job's specialized experience and duties, using the announcement's own terms. Include dates, hours per week, and specific accomplishments. Under the Merit Hiring Plan issued in May 2025, applications for many jobs at GS-5 and above include up to four short essay questions of about 200 words, and agencies are replacing self-rating questionnaires with skills tests and subject matter expert reviews. One essay question about advancing the President's policy priorities drew criticism as a political test, and the Office of Personnel Management said answers to it were optional.
A hiring freeze began on January 20, 2025 and was extended several times, with exceptions for the military, immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety. An October 2025 executive order replaced the freeze with a requirement that agency strategic hiring committees approve new positions, keeping hiring tightly limited. The workforce fell by more than 200,000 in 2025 through layoffs, deferred resignations, and attrition, and a February 2026 rule created a Schedule Policy/Career category with fewer job protections for some policy roles. In June 2026 an executive order moved about 8,000 senior positions into that category. Supporters say these changes make government leaner and hiring more merit-based, while critics say they deter qualified applicants and politicize the civil service.
Create a free profile on USAJOBS.gov and search by job title, agency, location, pay grade, or keywords, then save searches to receive email alerts. Each announcement has an opening and closing date, and some close early once a set number of applications arrive. Some agencies with their own hiring systems, such as the FBI, the CIA, the Foreign Service, and the Postal Service, also post jobs on their own websites. The federal government also hires through contractors, whose jobs appear on ordinary job boards.
Veterans preference adds points or priority for eligible veterans, especially those with service-connected disabilities, a tradition dating to the Civil War and codified in 1944. The Pathways programs offer internships for current students and positions for recent graduates. People with disabilities can be hired noncompetitively under a Schedule A authority, and military spouses and returning Peace Corps volunteers have special hiring options. Some agencies, such as the Veterans Affairs health system, hire medical professionals under separate rules.
Learn how the system works behind the scenes in how federal hiring works, see who works for the government in the federal workforce by the numbers, or learn the rules employees follow in the Hatch Act explained.