Careers

Careers for Veterans

Thank you for your service to our country. Consider continuing to serve your nation here at EPA. We need professionals with strong IT, business, management, finance, public affairs, and science backgrounds.

We offer a variety of career opportunities throughout the United States for qualified applicants like you. So please explore everything we have to offer -- not just current job announcements, but also our mission, accomplishments, and benefits.


EPA Veterans Share Their Stories


This video plays the entire Veteran Employees series. You can also view the full playlist of the Veteran Employees series on our YouTube site to select which videos you'd like to watch.  You can also view USAJobs's video "Support for Veterans", and a full playlist of USAJobs videos for veterans on their YouTube site.

Learn Federal Hiring Lingo

Veterans' Preference

Veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during specific time periods or military campaigns are entitled to preference over non-veterans in competitive hiring selections. If a job announcement on USAJobs.gov states that the position is open to all sources and you are qualified for the position, you will receive veterans' preference accordingly. In order to receive your preference, you must indicate in your application that you are eligible for the preference. You will need to send us proof of your military service with your application. If you are applying for a ten-point preference, you will need to submit additional forms. Read the job announcement to learn exactly what documentation is required.

Entitlement to veterans' preference does not guarantee a job.

Learn about the veterans' preference in federal hiring, whether you may be five- or ten-point preference eligible, and what documentation is required to receive the preference you are claiming:

Veterans' Recruitment Appointment (VRA)

Veterans with certain military service records may be hired for positions at grades GS-11 and below without a competitive selection process, if they meet the qualifications for the job. Certain conditions of employment may apply to employees hired under the VRA program.

Learn more:

30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans Program

Like the VRA program, veterans with service-connected disabilities of 30 percent or more may be hired into positions without a competitive selection process, if they meet the qualifications for the job. Unlike the VRA program, there is no limitation on the level at which you may be hired.

Learn more:

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA)

VEOA allows veterans to apply to announcements that are only open to individuals outside of EPA if they are so called "status" candidates, which normally means "current or former permanent federal employees."

Learn more:

Sgt. Danny Hart, U.S. Army, 55th Signal Company (combat camera), hard at work in Mogadishu at his desk constructed of MRE boxes.ABOVE: Sgt. Danny Hart, U.S. Army, 55th Signal Company (combat camera), hard at work in Mogadishu at his desk constructed of MRE boxes.
BELOW: Today, Danny is Acting Director, U.S. EPA Office of Web Communications.

Danny Hart, Associate Director, U.S. EPA Office of Web Communications

Did You Know?

In November 2009, President Obama issued Executive Order 13518, Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government, to enhance and promote employment opportunities for veterans within the federal government. Among other things, the Order established a Veterans Employment Program office within most federal agencies.  These offices will be responsible for:

  • helping veterans identify employment opportunities within those federal agencies,
  • providing feedback to veterans about their employment application status, and
  • helping veterans recently employed by these agencies adjust to civilian life and a workplace culture often different than military service.

Learn how EPA is implementing E.O. 13518 by contacting the EPA Veterans Employment Program Manager at 202-564-0290 or epaVeterans@epa.gov.

Why EPA?

EPA Injured Soldier and Veteran Volunteer Placement Program (ISVVPP)

ISVVPP provides temporary work experience to eligible active duty military service members and veterans. ISVVPP includes both paid and unpaid (volunteer) internship programs:

  • EPA Injured Soldier and Veteran Volunteer Placement Program
  • EPA benefits for vets
    • ISVVPP partners with DoD's Operation Warfighter (OWF) program. OWF is a paid federal internship program for wounded, ill, and injured service members, placing them in supportive work settings that positively impact their rehabilitation. Open to active duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, Operation Warfighter represents a great opportunity for service members to build their resumes, explore employment interests, develop job skills, and gain valuable federal government work experience. Local OWF Coordinators refer applicants to EPA.

Sgt. Danny Hart, U.S. Army, 55th Signal Company (combat camera), hard at work in Mogadishu at his desk constructed of MRE boxes.ABOVE: Sgt. Danny Hart, U.S. Army, 55th Signal Company (combat camera), hard at work in Mogadishu at his desk constructed of MRE boxes.
BELOW: Today, Danny is Acting Director, U.S. EPA Office of Web Communications.

Danny Hart, Associate Director, U.S. EPA Office of Web Communications

  • ISVVPP partners with the Veterans Administration (VA). In this program, which EPA refers to as the Veterans Non-Paid Work Experience Program, eligible veterans can obtain training and practical job experience consistent with their vocational rehabilitation goals. VA pays participants' monthly subsistence allowance for the duration of the program. The goal of the program is for veterans to obtain full-time permanent employment in the offices where they have been placed, or in similar offices, assuming a vacancy is available. VA Veteran Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors refer applicants to EPA.


EPA Benefits for Vets

  • Federal employment benefits are among the most comprehensive programs available anywhere. At EPA, our goal is to be considered by all as an "employer of choice." We are committed to paying people well and providing excellent benefits. Learn more about the benefits of working at EPA.

  • EPA has launched an informal mentoring program that matches seasoned EPA employees who are veterans with new hires who have served in the armed forces. To learn more about this mentoring program, email EPA's Veteran Employment Program Manager at epaveterans@epa.gov.

  • Employees who serve in the National Guard or Reserves for either active duty or training receive military leave benefits. Your type of deployment will determine how much leave you can accrue.

Related links

  • FedsHireVets.gov: Many of your questions can be answered at the central site for federal employment information for vets, transitioning military service members, and their families.   FedsHireVets.gov home page | How federal jobs are filled

  • eBenefits.VA.gov. View your compensation or pension claim status in eBenefits and find out what the VA has done with your claim and where it is in the claims process.

  • Veterans Benefits Administration.  Learn if you are eligible for VA benefits and if you are, what benefits you might be eligible for. 

  • Health care.  You can apply for VA health care online or you can apply in person at a VA Medical Center or clinic. To find the nearest VAMC or clinic, visit VA website and click on Locations.  You can also apply for health benefits by phone by calling: 1-877-222-VETS (8837), Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:00 pm ET.  Finally, you can do it via mail. 

  • Office of Personnel Management VetGuide

  • VA for Vets. Although VA for Vets is primarily a gateway for careers at the Veterans' Administration (VA), their website offers resources for vets applying to EPA and other employers, too. You can find career development services for existing veterans and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. Learn more on these VA for Vets pages:

Sgt. Danny Hart, U.S. Army, 55th Signal Company (combat camera), hard at work in Mogadishu at his desk constructed of MRE boxes.ABOVE: Sgt. Danny Hart, U.S. Army, 55th Signal Company (combat camera), hard at work in Mogadishu at his desk constructed of MRE boxes.
BELOW: Today, Danny is Acting Director, U.S. EPA Office of Web Communications.

Danny Hart, Associate Director, U.S. EPA Office of Web Communications

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