Environmental Sciences Jobs in the Federal Government
There are many employment opportunities in natural resource management and environmental protection in the federal government.
Job Profiles
Here are few examples of recent job openings. Explore more and apply now at USAJOBS.
Natural Resource Specialist (Park Ranger) at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Salary Range: $47,448 - $61,678 per year
- Duty Locations: South Dakota
- Summary: This job is with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Challenge Yourself - Be an Army Civilian - Go Army! Civilian employees serve a vital role in supporting the Army mission. They provide the skills that are not readily available in the military, but crucial to support military operations. The Army integrates the talents and skills of its military and civilian members to form a Total Army.
- Major Duties: Responsibilities include long and short range planning, administration, coordination and management of various project activities in the areas of fish and wildlife management, soil conservation, forest and range conservation, water quality, environmental stewardship, recreation, park administration, public relations, visitor assistance, public safety, historic properties management, real estate actions and other related fields
Soil Scientist at the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service
- Salary Range: $47,448 - $74,628 per year
- Duty Locations: Susanville, CA
- Summary: The Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is the nation’s leading forest management agency. It is an organization of more than 30,000.
- Major Duties: Carries out soil surveys, classifying and mapping soils based on the study and measurement of their significant characteristics. Soil surveys are conducted as part of ecological unit inventories at various scales that also require the collection of information on geology, geomorphology, vegetation, and climate. Conducts soil management investigations and provides recommendations for planning and monitoring.
Internship Examples
The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Education offers practical research opportunities and experiences for fellows through its National Network for Environmental Management Studies. Fellowships are available for undergraduate and graduate students in environmental policy, regulation, and law; environmental management and administration; environmental science; public relations and communications; and computer programming and development.
http://www.epa.gov/ohr/careers/stuopp.html
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Internship Program in Environmental Studies allows undergraduate and graduate students to research ecology, global change, environmental engineering and environmental education. This program enables students to work on specific projects under the direction of SERC's professional staff. http://www.serc.si.edu/pro_training/internships/internships.jsp
US Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, a major research center, is pleased to announce opportunities for college and university undergraduate students to participate in the Laboratory's ongoing research programs. In addition to such opportunities, the U.S. Department of Energy is directly sponsoring research participation at other DOE facilities. At Argonne, college/university students may obtain research experience through the Department of Energy's Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships Program or the Student Research Participation Program.
http://www.dep.anl.gov/p_undergrad/fall.htm
Brookhaven National Laboratory, located on Long Island, New York, Brookhaven is a multi-program national laboratory operated by Brookhaven Science Associates for the U.S. Department of Energy. Brookhaven has a staff of approximately 3,000 scientists, engineers, technicians and support staff and over 4,000 guest researchers annually.
http://www.bnl.gov/HR/jobs
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA), in California, offers four different internship programs, for summer employment, part-time work or new graduates looking for their first job.
http://careerlaunch.jpl.nasa.gov
Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in California, has internship and job opportunities listed on the site. They range from environmental sciences to other science and health fields.
http://cjo.lbl.gov
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in California, is an applied science laboratory that is part of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) within the Department of Energy (DOE). LLNL has been managed since its inception in 1952 by the University of California for the U.S. government.
https://jobs.llnl.gov/prod_index.html
Environmental Protection Agency has several Student Employement Programs on their site. The deadlines are in early spring.
http://www.epa.gov/careers/gradopp.html
Jobs by the Numbers
Number of Environmental Sciences Positions by Field
Field |
Full-time and Permanent (FTP) Positions |
|---|---|
Forestry Technician |
10,453 |
Environmental Protection Specialist |
5,936 |
Park Ranger |
5,322 |
Soil Conservation |
4,145 |
Fish Biology |
2,482 |
Wildlife Biology |
2,463 |
Source: Fedscope 03/10
Percentage of Business Positions by Region
Fedscope 03/10
Number of Environmental Sciences Positions by Agency
Agency |
FTP Environmental Sciences Positions |
|---|---|
Department of Agriculture |
34,749 |
Department of the Interior |
12,583 |
Department of Defense |
6,217 |
|
Environmental Protection Agency
|
5,475 |
|
Department of Commerce
|
2,447 |
Department of Health and Human Services |
1,771 |
Department of Transportation |
1,753 |
Department of Energy |
830 |
Department of Homeland Security |
150 |